Mistake Kills Several Nursing Home Residents
May 25, 2001
An Ohio grand jury indicted two defendants for the deaths of several nursing home residents mistakenly given nitrogen instead of oxygen. The county prosecutor indicated that the indictments involved charges of involuntary manslaughter and reckless homicide but refused to reveal if the defendants were corporations or individuals. The deaths resulted from nitrogen asphyxiation.
Four residents of the home died and six others became ill after being exposed to the nitrogen. According to nursing home officials, maintenance workers connected a tank containing nitrogen to the home's oxygen system. Maintenance workers noticed that the tank's fitting was different than the tanks they typically used, but a confusing label containing both the words oxygen and nitrogen led them to believe that the tank indeed contained oxygen.
If convicted on all counts, a twenty-year maximum jail sentence could result for each individual involved. In addition, a $60,000 fine may be levied against the corporation that owns the home.
-- Article Courtesy of InjuryBoard.com
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