Sharon Beebe, a 66-year-old patient at Mercy St. Vincent Medical Center, lost her life Sunday after she fell though a fourth-floor window in her room. Her fall appears to have been an accident.

Staff at the nearby nurse’s station heard the noise around 9:40 p.m. Beebe was scheduled to be released Monday.

She was found on a first-floor roof by rescuers and was pronounced dead in the emergency room a short time later.

Our Toledo, Ohio wrongful death attorneys have handled several cases involving falls. One such case dealt with a person who was in a YWCA shelter looking out the window. As she did so the glass broke. She fell and lost her life as a result.

If you’ve had a loved one suffer a wrongful death and you’d like to speak with one of our attorneys, call 800.637.8170 for a free consultation.

What are the damages available to the surviving family members after an Ohio wrongful death?

Though it is little consolation to people who have lost a loved one, the way our court system compensates the beneficiaries of a decedent is by awarding money. Damages - the term used to refer to the various reasons for which financial compensation can be awarded - are available for the estate for the damages of the decedent and to the beneficiaries.

The estate of the decedent can be compensated for the medical bills incurred to treat the decedent prior to death and for the pain and suffering the decedent experienced as a result of the accident or wrongdoing.

Under state law, the following damages are available to the beneficiaries:

Loss of support - This refers to the lost earning capacity of the decedent had he or she not died. The factors taken into consideration for loss of support would be the salary at the time of the decedent’s death as well as the amount of money the decedent reasonably could have been expected to earn in the future had the death not occurred. Charts called “life tables” are used to calculate how long the decedent would have been expected to live based on such factors as age at the time of death, gender, and race.

Ohio nursing home accidents can be devastating. Our Findlay, Ohio nursing home abuse lawyers see horrible cases where elders are mistreated, neglected, and abused, often without a family member finding out before it’s too late.

According to the Jere Beasley Report, a Philadelphia jury returned a verdict for $5 million in punitive damages last month against Jeanes Hospital and a Wyncote nursing home in the death of a man who developed ultimately fatal bedsores while at both facilities. The damages - $1.5 million against Jeanes and $3.5 million against the Hillcrest Convalescent Home - came two weeks into the second phase of the trial after the same jury awarded $1 million in compensatory damages in the case.

If you or someone you know has been injured or hurt in a nursing home please contact our office at 800.637.8170 for your free consultation and case evaluation. We also have a free book available, entitled, The Ohio Wrongful Death Book.

According to the Jere Beasley report, a young woman from Florence, Alabama was murdered while on a business trip in Knoxville, Tennessee, during her stay at a local Days Inn Motel.

A motel employee allegedly strangled Jennifer Lee Hampton after sexually assaulting her. The employee used the hotel’s master key to enter Ms. Hampton’s room and a week later Jennifer’s body was found in a nearby lake.

The family of Jennifer Hampton filed suit against the motel in Knoxville. They are accusing the motel of negligence for allowing employees to have master keys to the guest rooms, as well as hiring illegal immigrants, and their failure to perform background checks. Following this incident, the Days Inn franchise changed their name to AmeriStay Hotel and Suites. Alongside the lawsuit against Days Inn franchise, the accused employee is also being charged with murder.

Our Toledo, Ohio wrongful death lawyers handle cases involving death by murder on a regular basis. If you or someone you know has suffered the loss of a loved one due to tragic circumstances, contact our office today at 800.637.8170 for your free consultation and case evaluation, as well as a copy of The Ohio Wrongful Death Book.

Our attorneys see cases on a regular basis where families have lost loved ones to tragic circumstances.

Recently the family of Arizona resident Patrick Graham was awarded $36 million in damages for his 2005 shooting death by a mental patient in the Wal-Mart parking lot in Peoria, AZ. The state court jury found that ValueOptions Inc., the company that held that contract with the state to provide behaviorial healthcare until 2007, was 90% at fault in the shootings of both Patrick Graham and another employee of Wal-Mart, Anthony Spangler.

Ed Liu, a patient of ValueOptions Inc. had suffered from paranoid schizophrenia and been a patient in the state’s mental health system for more than 20 years. According to Jere Beasley, “based on trial testimony, he [Liu] was conscientious in managing those medications.”

However, in December 2004, Liu’s care provider noted that his condition was becoming more severe and despite this fact, his appointment for the following month was cancelled. It wasn’t until May 2005 that ValueOptions sent an employee to knock on his door to check on him. Liu failed to answer the door and called the next day to state that he wanted to get back on his medications, yet once again he did not show up for his June 2005 appointment.

In August 2005 Mr. Liu purchased a Glock semiautomatic pistol while he was “hearing voices and receiving messages from car license plates and newscasts from CNN.” It was August 23, 2005 when he drove to the Peoria Wal-Mart location and shot Mr. Graham and Mr. Spangler while they were collecting shopping carts in the parking lot. Upon his arrest, Mr. Liu had no recollection of the incident.

The State of Arizona was also held responsible. The State of Arizona settled for $250,000 and the settlement amount from Mr. Liu’s liability policy paid an amount that is being kept confidential. Mr. Graham’s widow was awarded $10 million, each of his children were awarded $10.5 million, and both of his parents were awarded $2.5 million in damages and punitive damages. ValueOptions Inc., plan to appeal this ruling.

Our Toledo, Ohio wrongful death lawyers handle cases involving tragic deaths on a regular basis. If you or someone you know has lost a loved one due to tragic circumstances, contact our office today at 800.637.8170 for your free consultation and case evaluation, or to order your free copy of The Ohio Wrongful Death Book.