Secured $200K Settlement for Nursing Home Patient Who Was Not Provided Life Sustaining Treatment

Robins Kaplan attorneys secured a $200K settlement for a client, age 74, who was at a Minnesota nursing home for rehabilitation as she underwent palliative chemotherapy for her terminal breast cancer. She also had a number of other serious medical conditions that limited her life expectancy. Our client had signed a Provider Orders for Life Sustaining Treatment (POLST), in which she gave the directive to provide “CPR/Attempt Resuscitation” if she had no pulse or was not breathing.

A nursing assistant discovered our client to have irregular breathing and informed a nurse, who came into the room and panicked.  The nurse did not initiate CPR or any other life-saving procedures and instead, watched our client die. The Minnesota Department of Health conducted an investigation and documented neglect. This case settled shortly after it was put in suit for $200,000.