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The Mississippi Supreme Court ruled that neither a Marion nursing home administrator nor the facility’s licensee could be held liable in the death of two residents.

The residents allegedly died as a result negligent care at the nursing home where Joyce and Guy Howard work as the administrator and licensee, respectively. The resident’ estates asked the court to apply the common law duty of care in the case. They argued that the Howards could be held liable for failing to hire an adequate number of nursing personnel, failing to supervise and train the personnel, and failing to prepare and maintain adequate records at the facility.

But the state’s high court found no right under state law for the estates to sue the Howards in their individual capacities.