STUTTGART, Ark. (Legal Newsline) — An Arkansas nursing home patient who was allegedly not properly secured in her wheelchair while riding in the facility's van has filed a negligence lawsuit.
Annie Lee Miller, as power of attorney for Geraldine Betts, filed a complaint Feb. 7 in Arkansas County Circuit Court against Crestpark Stuttgart LLC, Evergreene Properties of North Carolina LLC, Crystal Coburn and others alleging negligence.
According to Miller's complaint, she was admitted to Crestpark Stuttgart in Stuttgart on Jan. 1, 2017. Miller alleges that on March 29, 2021, Coburn, who was the driver of the facility's van, sat Betts in the van unsecured in her wheelchair and aggressively drove over a set of railroad tracks.
She claims Betts was thrown from her wheelchair and onto the van floor, where she began to bleed and complain of pain. Miller alleges the driver continued to drive to the facility with her lying on floor and with blood on her face mask. She claims Betts suffered multiple fractures, bruising, broken teeth and other injuries.
Miller further claims the defendants' negligence for failing to secure Betts, failing to drive the van in a safe manner and for not giving Betts emergency assistance after being thrown to the floor. She also claims Crestpark failed to have sufficient nursing and other staff that were qualified and properly trained.
Miller seeks monetary relief, interest, trial by jury and all other just relief. She is represented by Jeff Priebe and Eric Wewers of Rainwater, Holt & Sexton PA in Little Rock, Arkansas.