Gardens at Scranton nursing home settles lawsuit for $330,000
Apr. 24—The Gardens at Scranton nursing home agreed to a $330,000 settlement of a lawsuit that alleged a Stroudsburg woman died from an infected bedsore she developed while under the facility's care.
Harry E. Stoffers Jr. filed suit in 2020 in connection with the June 5, 2018, death of his wife, Kathleen Stoffers, 66.
According to the suit, Kathleen Stoffers was admitted to the 824 Adams Ave. facility on March 15, 2018. Within a month, she developed a bone-deep, foul-smelling bed sore that became so infected she had to undergo emergency surgery at an area hospital on April 28, 2018.
The suit, filed by Philadelphia attorney Churchill Huston, alleged the nursing home knew Stoffers was a high risk to develop bed sores. Despite that, staff failed to reposition her or properly monitor her skin condition.
The lawsuit is among three lawsuits filed against the Gardens at Scranton since 2018 that allege the staff failed to properly care for bed sores. A 2018 lawsuit Ralph Turre filed relating to the death of his mother, Phyllis Scanzillo, and a 2022 lawsuit filed by Rosa Munchak for the death of her husband, Myron, remain pending.
Stoffers' lawsuit was set to go to trial before Lackawanna County Judge Julia Munley on March 20. The settlement was reached prior to the start of trial.
In court documents, attorneys for the nursing home maintained Stoffers had a bed sore upon admission and that her death was caused by her underlying medical conditions. The settlement notes the home does not admit any wrongdoing.
The settlement, which Munley approved on April 13, earmarks $100,316.37 to Harry Stoffers and $42,992.73 to Kathleen Stoffers' estate. Huston's law firm will receive $132,000 in attorney's fees plus $37,118.69 in litigation costs. The remaining $17,572.21 is earmarked for a lien owed to Medicare.
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