Jury compensates family for death of resident from overdose
Tucson Citizen had an article about a recent jury verdict where a jury awarded a Tucson family $6 million for a death involving an 81-year-old relative who died of a morphine overdose. Mary Culpepper and two other relatives were awarded $2 million each. Culpepper sued Manor Care, TMC, a doctor, nurse and pharmacy over the Dec. 8, 2003, death of her mother, Sylvia Culpepper.
She was admitted to TMC on Dec. 2, 2003, suffering from sciatica, a painful nerve condition.
On Dec. 4, 2003, she was prescribed 15 milligrams of morphine twice a day. Two days later, her dosage increased to 30 milligrams, twice a day. When Culpepper was transferred from TMC to Manor Care, prescription orders contained both dosages.
The Manor Care staff failed to note the discrepancy in the prescriptions and gave her both dosages, both twice a day causing her death. An autopsy determined that Culpepper died of acute morphine intoxication.
According to the jury's verdicts, the doctor, nurse and pharmacy weren't to blame for the death. The nursing home had the ultimate rersponsibility for the medications given to the resident at their facility.
