On Friday a case was removed from the 21st Judicial District Court for the Parish of Tangipahoa, Louisiana to the Louisiana Eastern District Court. The case was filed by Jeane Luft, on behalf of a group of nursing home residents, against eight nursing homes and their owner Bob Dean; the putative class action arose from the actions taken by those nursing homes in evacuating their residents and patients due to Hurricane Ida.
The complaint explained that, ahead of Ida’s landfall in the state of Louisiana, plans were made for the evacuation of nursing home residents. Per the plaintiff, the plans included representations that the residents would be evacuated to an alternative care facility that would have a natural gas generator in case of loss of power.
However, upon arrival, the plaintiff argues that the facility was a warehouse that had previously been a repository for toxic chemicals. The complaint says that there were no proper beds or facilities for human waste, no food or medical treatment items, and no power. Per the allegations, state health inspectors were evicted from the property and were not permitted to assist the residents.
The plaintiffs are seeking class action status, as well as damages for neglect, breach of fiduciary duty, wrongful death, loss of property, and other damages. The plaintiffs are represented by Murphy Rogers Sloss Gambel & Tompkins, Willis & Buckley, and Lee Law. The nursing homes are represented by Duplass, Zwain, Bourgeois, Pfister, Weinstock & Bogart.