Lawsuit related to fall that led to death
A wrongful death lawsuit was filed against a Menomonee Falls nursing home, contending that a resident died from complications caused by broken bones in both legs that she suffered during a fall that was not reported.
Dorismae Burgardt was dropped by a nursing assistant at Menomonee Falls Health Care Center using an improper technique. The incident was not reported to a registered nurse or the woman's physician. The first mention that something was amiss came the next day, when it was noted on her chart that Burgardt had "bruises" on both knees caused by being "lowered to the floor".
Three weeks later, Burgardt was dead. She was 81.
"This lawsuit is about dignity and safety," said attorney Jay Urban, who filed the lawsuit on behalf of Burgardt's estate and her husband, Allan Burgardt of Germantown.
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The nursing assistant did not use a required safety belt during the shower, and she should have been assisted by another employee but was not. In addition to not reporting the matter to a physician or a registered nurse, the two failed to document it in Burgardt's chart.
Burgardt was taken to Community Memorial Hospital in Menomonee Falls, where X-rays revealed broken bones in both legs, according to the lawsuit.
