Jury awards $5.5M for wrongful death at Pueblo nursing home

In what is believed to be a record-setting verdict, a jury awarded more than $5.5 million for the wrongful death and suffering of Sophia Alcon, a resident at Life Care Center of Pueblo.

George Alcon, Sohphia’s son, was awarded a unanimous verdict of $5,557,066.43 in the District Court of Pueblo County on Friday, May 13, 2016.

Sophia, 77, was admitted to Life Care Center of Pueblo on April 30, 2013. While a resident there, she allegedly endured several instances of abuse and neglect. According to the family, she had multiple infections, bed sores, unexplained severe bruising covering half of her body, dehydration and malnutrition.

According to the Reddick Moss law firm, caregivers said that Sophia was often found lying in her own urine and feces. She also suffered from multiple bouts of pneumonia, urinary tract infections, severe dehydration and renal failure while residing at the Life Care nursing home, all of which reportedly contributed to her death on November 20, 2013.

Including several testimonies, the jury also recognized multiple surveys conducted by the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, which cited Life Care Center of Pueblo for numerous regulatory violations similar to what was reported by Sophia’s family. The jury believed that the facility had serious problems with continuity of care and documentation. A juror further noted that the State of Colorado should be tougher on a facility like Life Care Center of Pueblo that has had repeated violations for the same deficiencies.

The jury awarded $500,000 in damages stemming from the wrongful death of Sophia Alcon, $57,066.43 in economic damages for negligence, and another $5 million in punitive damages for wrongful death.

Keith Jackson, Executive Director of Life Care Center of Pueblo, told KRDO, “At Life Care center of Pueblo, residents are highest priority….their legal team will be appealing this ruling.”