A lawsuit in the Allegheny County Court of Common Pleas against The Mentor Network and affiliated entities alleges wrongful death and negligence in the death of Melinda Tarr, a resident under the care of the company.
The March suit also names Marla-Arnold Blake, a caregiver in the employ of Mentor, alleging that she bears personal liability for any actions she may have taken not within the scope of her employment, according to court documents.
The suit alleges that an individualized service plan for Tarr included information about the risk of choking for Tarr. On March 23, 2019, the suit alleges that Tarr was seated in a vehicle out of line-of-site of Blake when she began to choke while eating a cheeseburger.
The suit alleges that Blake and Mentor should have been aware from the existing plan that Tarr was at risk of choking if left unsupervised with food such as bread, according to court documents.
In addition to alleging “reckless and/or negligent, grossly negligent actions and inactions,” in the provision of Tarr with a cheeseburger, the suit also alleges that the manner of her death caused her to suffer for “a substantial period.”
The suit also alleges that, once Tarr was discovered to be choking, employees of Mentor did not summon paramedics “within a reasonable and/or sufficient time.”
Original Article – https://pennrecord.com/stories/582282816-wrongful-death-lawsuit-alleges-caregiver-left-woman-unsupervised-with-food-despite-known-choking-risk
