WEST PALM BEACH, FL – Lesser, Landy, Smith & Siegel is pleased to announce that Firm Shareholder Joseph B. Landy has been named President of the Top 10 Nursing Home Trial Lawyers by The National Trial Lawyers.
This invitation-only organization is comprised of premier trial lawyers who demonstrate superior qualifications of leadership, reputation and ethics in compliance with state bar and model rules.
“I am honored to have been selected to serve as President and represent the most elite lawyers across our country who are united in our efforts to protect the rights of victims of nursing home abuse,” Landy said.
Landy, a Board-Certified Civil Trial Lawyer, has been a fierce advocate on behalf of his clients for more than 30 years. Early in his career, he represented nursing homes and assisted living facilities across the state of Florida. During that time, he gained valuable insight into how to handle – and win – these cases, and realized he wanted to devote his professional life to helping the victims of injustice.
For the past 24 years, Landy has handled countless nursing home abuse cases throughout the state. Often, the facts are both horrific and shocking, including rape, physical abuse, death, malnutrition and dehydration, wounds down to the bone which were incapable of healing, falls causing brain bleeds, and residents with Alzheimer’s that wandered out of a facility and into harm’s way.
“Nursing home residents are some of the most vulnerable aspects of our population, yet they are often tragically overlooked,” Landy said. “The lack of accountability allows abuse to flourish. We fight not only to obtain justice for our clients, but also to stop the harm from happening to anyone else.”
One of Landy’s most notable cases is the multi-million-dollar civil lawsuit he won on behalf of Patricia Dahmer against a Lake Worth nursing home. Mrs. Dahmer lost her beloved husband George after his admission to the facility for “short term rehabilitation.”
During his stay there, George Dahmer, who was battling Alzheimer’s, was overmedicated, lost a tremendous amount of weight, and sustained decubitus ulcers (pressure wounds) down to his bone. Shortly after being discharged, George Dahmer, a former Boynton Beach resident best known as professional wrestler Chief White Owl, passed away on May 23, 2008.
Like many facilities, Lake Worth Manor was woefully underinsured with only a $10,000 policy. The facility did not think any attorney would take the case to trial as they did not have assets. They were wrong.
Landy agreed to take the case to trial with the goal of obtaining full justice for George Dahmer or forcing the facility to close its doors.
Over the next 8 years, there were countless depositions, a lengthy trial that Landy won, and a lengthy appeal. Faced with the options of paying the verdict in full – with interest – or closing its doors, the facility sent a multi-million dollar check to Landy overnight to satisfy the judgment in full.
Not only did Landy obtain justice for the Dahmer family, but the government ratings for the facility also substantially improved following the verdict. The Dahmer verdict is believed to be the only nursing home verdict in the history of the State of Florida which included punitive damages that were paid in full.
If you or a loved one is the victim of nursing home abuse, our team of experienced trial lawyers are here to fight for you. Call 561-655-2028 now to speak with one of our nursing home abuse attorneys or contact us online at lesserlawfirm.com
