Jury finds Buffalo Center nursing home guilty of neglect and abuse of former patient, awards family $6 million

BUFFALO CENTER — A Buffalo Center nursing home has been ordered to pay $6 million to the family of a former resident after allegations of neglect and abuse.

83-year-old Darlene Weaver died in June 2017. That November, her children filed a lawsuit against the Timely Mission Nursing Home for wrongful death, negligence, breach of contract, dependent adult abuse and loss of consortium.

The lawsuit accused the nursing home of failing to provide appropriate medical care, preventing falls or other injuries from happening, negligent hiring practices, inadequate staff training, and covering up cases of adult abuse, neglect and negligence.

A jury returned a verdict late last week finding Timely Mission Nursing Home had been negligent and awarded her children $2 million for pre-death pain and suffering, $2 million in punitive damages, $1 million for pre-death loss of full mind and body, and $1 million for loss of relationship.

Timely Mission had asked for a directed verdict to avoid having it go to the jury, but District Judge James Drew ruled on Friday that Weaver’s children presented enough evidence to justify a jury verdict and ordered the nursing home to pay the $6 million judgment with interest.