Man Says Nursing Home Responsible For His Uncle's Fatal Fall

The nephew of a man who died after sustaining personal injuries in a fall at a nursing home has filed suit against the home, claiming that it allowed him to fall.

According to the suit filed on March 31 in Illinois’ St. Clair County Circuit Court by John Cowan, his father, Leroy Cowan, was a patient at Cahokia Nursing and Rehabilitation Center when he fell on March 22, 2002, causing him to suffer a subdural hematoma.

The suit says that the subdural hematoma eventually led to Cowan’s death on March 31, 2002.

The suit claims that Cowan experienced extreme pain and lost consciousness before his death.

The suit alleges negligence on the part of Cahokia for allowing Cowan to walk without supervision, failure to restrain Cowan in order to prevent a fall, failure to provide Cowan with proper instructions about moving with an aide’s help, and failure to warn Cowan of the risks of movement without help.

John Cowan seeks damages in excess of $50,000.