According to the Chicago Tribune and the Chicago Sun-Times, a 98 year-old Illinois nursing home resident recently passed away due to an overdose of two painkillers.
Ms. Dorothy Byrd passed away in February 2015 after ingesting two powerful painkillers. The medical examiner’s office has officially ruled Ms. Byrd’s death a homicide. The results of her toxicology report reveal that her death was caused by an overdose of morphine and hydrocodone.
Prior to her untimely death, Ms. Byrd was a resident at the Holland Home, an assisted living facility in South Holland, Illinois. On February 3, 2015, six residents, including Ms. Byrd, were hospitalized for illnesses resulting from unknown causes. Ms. Byrd and two others later passed away at the hospital. As for the other two residents, the medical examiner has not yet released information regarding their causes of death.
Holland House is operated by Villa Healthcare. The company operates twelve nursing homes and four assisted living facilities in Illinois, Wisconsin and Michigan. Ms. Byrd’s family has not yet filed a wrongful death action on behalf of her estate. Illinois law allows families to take action against wrongdoers when someone is injured in a nursing home or assisted living facility because of the negligence or intentional wrongdoing of others.
If your close relative or other loved one has suffered a wrongful death while residing at a nursing home or other assisted living facility, please call our expert wrongful death and nursing home abuse lawyers 24/7 at 617-787-3700.
