Posts Tagged ‘Skilled Healthcare’

Janssen Malloy LLP partners, W. Timothy Needham, Michael J. Crowley, Patrik Griego and Amelia F. Burroughs have been nominated by Consumer Attorneys of California for the organization’s Consumer Attorney of the Year Award.  The nomination arises from the firm’s handling of the seminal jury verdict case of 2010, Lavender vs. Skilled Healthcare LLC.  The Janssen Law Firm, along with co-counsel Michael Thamer and Christopher Healey, obtained the largest jury verdict in the United States in 2010, $677 million dollars.  The case had a significant impact on the healthcare industry, specifically the skilled nursing facilities throughout the nation.

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News Release – For Immediate Release

June 21, 2011

Contact: Deborah Mathis, Communications Director – (202) 797-8600 or dmathis@publicjustice.net

Six California Lawyers Who Won Historic Verdict for Nursing Home Residents Are Finalists for Trial Lawyer of the Year Award

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In recent class action cases that we have filed in Humboldt County and in other counties we’ve had occasion where all the funds have not been claimed after the claim process was finished.  We’ve been asked what is done with those remaining funds.

When a balance of class recovery remains after distribution to the individual class members, the court is faced with the issue of how to dispose of the remaining balance of the common fund.

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Janssen Law Firm partner W. Timothy Needham has been nominated for the 2011 Public Justice Trial Lawyer of the Year award through the American Association for Justice (AAJ).  The nomination stems from Mr. Needham’s tireless efforts on behalf of the plaintiffs in the Lavender v.  Skilled Healthcare nursing home understaffing class-action case that was tried in Humboldt County Superior Court in 2010.

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Janssen Law Firm partners Michael J. Crowley and W. Timothy Needham have been recognized by California Lawyer Magazine as California Lawyer attorneys of the year, recognizing their significant trial result in the Lavender v. Skilled Healthcare nursing home understaffing class-action case.  This case was tried to verdict in Humboldt County Superior Court after a six month trial, and resulted in a $677 million verdict against Skilled Healthcare for statutory violations of the state’s minimum nurse staffing requirements.  This is believed to the largest jury verdict in the nursing home context in the state’s history, and was among the top jury verdicts in the United States for 2010, in any field.

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Because of the success the Janssen Law Firm had in litigation against nursing homes, people often ask us what they should look for in determining whether to put their loved one in such a home.   Starting January 1, 2011, it will be easier to make that determination.

As of that date, all California nursing homes will be required to post the ratings for that facility under the MEDICARE 5-STAR RATING SYSTEM.  That system looks at three different criteria to determine home’s rating: (1) health inspections; (2) staffing numbers; and (3) quality measures.

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Journalist Matt Drange of the Eureka Times-Standard covered the Lavender v. Skilled Healthcare jury trial, writing in depth in a three part series the stories underlying the class action law suit against Skilled Healthcare.  Drange noted that it was the longest civil trial in Humboldt County history, and the $677 million verdict was the largest trial result in the United States in 2010.

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Settlement in Skilled Healthcare suit has been approved by court and praised by nursing home reform advocates.

On December 1, 2010, the Times Standard interviewed The Janssen Law Firm’s Lead Trial Lawyer Timothy Needham about the Humboldt County Superior Court’s Final Approval of the Settlement in the Skilled Healthcare Lawsuit.   The $677 million dollar jury verdict was the largest award ever given by a Humboldt County Jury.

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On July 6, 2010, the Janssen Law Firm and attorneys from two other firms received for their clients the largest jury verdict in the United States this year.  The case is Lavender v. Skilled Healthcare Group, Case No. DR060264, Superior Court of California, Humboldt County.  The plaintiff class is represented by W. Timothy Needham, Michael Crowley, Amelia Burroughs and Patrick Griego of the Janssen Law Firm from Eureka, by Michael Thamer from Callahan, and by Chris Healey and Aaron T. Winn of the Luce Forward firm from San Diego. This is the highest verdict ever achieved against a nursing home chain and one of the highest verdicts  in the United States this decade.

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