Image of nurses' hands at computer keyboard

HCR ManorCare says it is appealing a $91.5 million judgment in a case involving a former 87-year-old resident. A West Virginia circuit court found one of its facilities negligent in the death of the woman, who had spent less than three weeks in the company’s care.

Tom Douglas claimed in a lawsuit first filed in 2009 that his mother, Dorothy Douglas, died as a result of dehydration and renal failure after. Dorothy suffered from dementia and Parkinson’s disease and had spent only 20 days at the Charleston, WV, facility, according to Bloomberg News.

Lawyers representing Douglas alleged that the nursing home administrators were understaffed and knew this, Bloomberg reported.