Significant Cases

The Manton Law Firm, LLC

Listed below is a sampling of cases that lawyers at The Manton Law Firm, LLC, have handled, either as lead counsel or associate counsel. Many of the settlements were made confidential at the opponent’s request as part of the negotiating process. The parties’ identities are not revealed in order to protect their privacy and/or honor confidential settlement terms.

NURSING HOME NEGLECT - Wrongful Death, Bedsores, Malnutrition, Multiple Fall-Related Injuries: An elderly female nursing home resident suffering from Alzheimer’s dementia was neglected by the nursing home staff in a rural Georgia town. As a result she developed massive Stage IV pressure sores (also called bedsores or decubitus ulcers) on her coccyx and buttocks, urinary tract infections, malnutrition and dehydration, and a fractured hip after a fall. Our detailed investigation uncovered that this nursing home had several other previous similar incidents of resident neglect, and the facility was chronically understaffed. The case settled shortly before trial for $600,000, which is believed to be the largest nursing home settlement ever recorded in the rural, conservative jurisdiction.

NURSING HOME NEGLECT & ABUSE - Wrongful Death, Bedsores, Malnutrition, Sexual Abuse: Our clients were the family of an elderly Alzheimer’s resident at a national nursing home chain. Their father had died at the nursing home after suffering several infected Stage IV pressure sores (also called bedsores or decubitus ulcers), chronic urinary tract infections, and profound malnutrition and dehydration that left him weighing less than 98 lbs. at his death. Our investigation into the case also revealed that the family’s father had been repeatedly molested by his roommate, and that the nursing home became aware of the situation but failed to take steps to stop the abuse. Further investigation by the firm showed that the nursing home was understaffed and had been repeatedly cited by regulatory authorities for neglecting its residents. The case settled for a confidential amount shortly before trial at the nursing home’s request.

NURSING HOME ABUSE - Staff Abuse, Broken Leg, Bedsores, Malnutrition: An elderly Alzheimer’s resident had to be transported to a nearby hospital with a fractured leg. At the hospital she reported that a member of the nursing home staff had hit her. Our investigation into the case revealed that the nursing home did not do a thorough investigation into the resident’s allegations, and in fact was cited by state regulatory agencies for doing an inadequate investigation. Our investigation also revealed that the resident had suffered several severe pressure sores (also called bedsores or decubitus ulcers) and malnutrition. The nursing home was also found to have altered and forged several medical records claiming to have provided care to the resident on days when she was hospitalized and not even at the nursing home facility. The case settled for a confidential amount at the nursing home’s request.

AUTOMOBILE COLLISION - Wrongful Death: We represented the family of a woman who was killed by a commercial van in a head-on collision. Our investigation into the case revealed that the driver of the van was a temporary employee supplied by a staffing company. The driver had a suspended drivers’ license in two different states, as well as a history of previous motor vehicle accidents. Our investigation also discovered that the staffing company failed to do a routine background check on the driver’s motor vehicle record before hiring him. The case settled for $1,500,000.

AUTOMOBILE COLLISION - Broken Leg, Broken Elbow, Crushed Knee: Our client was severely injured in an automobile collision, breaking her leg, elbow, and crushing her kneecap. Our investigation of the case revealed that the at-fault driver, a young teenager, had a history of reckless driving in the neighborhood and had been warned by several neighbors to drive more carefully. The case settled for $225,000.

AUTOMOBILE COLLISION - Soft Tissue Injuries, Drunk Driver, Punitive Damages: Our client was injured in a head-on collision by a drunk driver. Fortunately, our client received relatively minor injuries that healed within two weeks following physical therapy. The at-fault driver was found to be guilty of DUI. Our investigation into the case revealed that the at-fault driver then failed to complete her probation, and received another DUI during the course of the case. After a lengthy litigation process where the at-fault driver’s insurance company tried to withdraw its coverage and avoid responsibility for the at-fault driver, the case finally settled for $55,000.

AUTOMOBILE COLLISION - Wrongful Death: A man in his 60’s was killed in a head-on automobile collision after a vehicle crossed the grass median of the highway and entered oncoming traffic. The vehicle that caused the collision only had minimal insurance, however our investigation of the case revealed another umbrella policy that had been previously undisclosed. The case settled for the insurance policy limits of $400,000.

MEDICAL MALPRACTICE - Wrongful Death, Misdiagnosis, Failure To Monitor Patient: A 69 year old man was taken to an Atlanta hospital after suffering a stroke, and placed on blood-thinning medications. While at the hospital he fell and sustained visible bruising to his head. The hospital staff and doctor did not run any CT scans or other tests to rule out the possibility of internal bleeding. That night, there was an eight hour window where no one checked on the man or otherwise monitored his condition. The man was actually bleeding internally, and died of a hemorrhaging subdural hematoma. The case settled for a confidential amount at the hospital’s request.

MEDICAL MALPRACTICE - Home Nursing Agency, Inadequate Skin Care Treatment, Bedsores: Our client was a 68 year old man who had already been rendered a quadriplegic in an automobile accident. He then developed a small skin tear on his coccyx area at a local hospital, and upon discharge a home nursing agency was hired to provide him with skin care to make sure the small tear did not get worse. The home nursing agency failed to provide proper, consistent care, and improperly used a Wound Vac healing device, all of which caused the small tear to deteriorate into a Stage IV bedsore that required corrective surgery. Fortunately, there were no long-term injuries. During our course of investigation, the firm discovered that the home nursing agency had been cited for numerous patient-care violations by regulatory agencies. The case settled for $150,000.

MEDICAL MALPRACTICE - Home Nursing Agency, Failure To Provide Care: A 4 year old girl was hospitalized for over a month due to respiratory problems, and was eventually discharged to the care of a home nursing agency. The agency was ordered to bring certain medication to the girl that she had to receive within a strict timeframe. When the nursing agency arrived, they did not have the proper medication and did not know how to work the equipment necessary to administer the medication. The nurse left the house and promised to quickly return with the proper medication and equipment. However, she never came back, causing the little girl to suffer a relapse of her symptoms and another hospitalization. Fortunately, there was no long-term injury. The case settled under a structured payout format worth almost $200,000.

MEDICAL MALPRACTICE - Negligent Prescription Of Medication: Our client was a male in his late 30’s with a known history of allergic reaction to certain drugs. However, the client’s doctor gave him a new drug that contained some of the same ingredients that the client was allergic to. The client suffered a severe allergic reaction and permanent paresthesia (numbness and tingling) in his hands as a result of the negligent prescription of medication. The case settled for a confidential amount at the request of the doctor’s liability insurance carrier.

PERSONAL INJURY - Hunting Accident, Shotgun Wounds, Homeowners’ Insurance: A 15 year old boy was hunting with a friend when the friend began to joke around and point his shotgun at the boy, pretending that he was going to shoot him. The gun went off from less than ten yards away, leaving the boy severely wounded in the groin and leg. He had to be life-flighted off the property, and was hospitalized for over a month. Fortunately, the shooter’s family had a homeowners’ insurance policy that covered the incident. The case settled pursuant to a structured payout format worth over $300,000.