Family members of an 81-year-old Alzheimer’s patient who died of COVID-19 complications in 2020 have settled their lawsuit against the Burbank nursing home where their loved one allegedly acquired the virus.
Attorneys for relatives of the late Vernon Robinson Sr. filed court papers on Thursday with Burbank Superior Court Judge John Kralik, stating that the case was resolved. No terms were divulged.
Robinson died March 26, 2020, at Glendale Adventist Medical Center, where he was taken after becoming ill at Alameda Care Center, according to the lawsuit filed in March 2021. In that paperwork, Robinson’s family alleged that the nursing home was responsible for wrongful death, elder abuse and neglect, concealment and violation of the resident’s Bill of Rights.
In August 2021, the judge granted a defense motion to send part of the case to arbitration and he placed a stay on the litigation pending the outcome.
Robinson suffered from Alzheimer’s disease and was dependent on Alameda Care Center for all of his basic needs, including mobility, nutrition, hydration, hygiene and personal care, the suit said. In mid-March 2020, the facility was closed to visitors because of the coronavirus, and during that period, he was transferred to Glendale Adventist Medical Center because he was having extreme difficulty breathing, according to the suit.
At the hospital, Robinson tested positive for the coronavirus, which his family claims was contracted at the Alameda Care Center. His condition rapidly deteriorated and his death certificate showed he died of acute respiratory arrest and pneumonia due to COVID-19, the suit stated.
Those in charge of caring for Robinson at the Alameda Care Center had a duty to accurately monitor and record his condition and report changes to his doctor and family, and maintain accurate records of his condition and treatment, according to the suit.
First published in the July 15 print issue of the Burbank Leader.
