A tragic incident at an assisted living facility has led to a lawsuit that raises serious questions about the standard of care provided to vulnerable residents. Gloria Campbell, acting as the Personal Representative of the Estate of Elzine Halstead Maddox, filed a complaint against GV Largo, Inc. in the Circuit Court of the Sixth Judicial Circuit in Pinellas County, Florida on September 19, 2024.
The lawsuit centers around allegations that GV Largo, Inc., which operates the Grand Villa of Largo assisted living facility, failed to provide adequate care for Elzine Halstead Maddox. According to the complaint, Maddox suffered a severe fall on December 16, 2020, resulting in multiple injuries including a laceration on her nose and left eye, orbital trauma, and facial pain. The plaintiff asserts that Maddox's deteriorating condition required a higher level of care than what was available at Grand Villa. Despite this need being evident due to her blindness and decreased mobility among other issues, the facility allegedly did not take appropriate steps to transfer her to a more suitable healthcare setting.
"Elzine Maddox’s care needs were greater than the services the facility could provide," states Campbell in her filing. The complaint further alleges that had Grand Villa acted upon their knowledge and transferred Maddox to an appropriate facility timely, she would not have experienced such a debilitating fall. Following her fall and subsequent hospitalization at Morton Plant Hospital where she was diagnosed with acute left orbital trauma and other conditions, Maddox was transferred to a skilled nursing facility but continued to decline rapidly until her death on February 7, 2021.
The plaintiff accuses GV Largo of multiple breaches of duty including failing to assess Maddox’s need for higher-level care correctly and failing to ensure she lived in a safe environment free from neglect. These alleged failures are said to be violations of Section 429.28 of the Florida Statutes which outlines residents' rights in assisted living facilities.
Campbell is seeking damages exceeding $50,000 under several counts including wrongful death and negligence. The lawsuit demands compensation for lost parental companionship for Maddox’s surviving children—Gloria Campbell herself along with Robert Washington, Ray Dixon, Calvin Dixon, and Dale Dixon—as well as covering medical and funeral expenses incurred by Maddox's estate.
Representing Gloria Campbell is Stephen H. Haskins from The Law Office of Lucas, Macyszyn & Dyer based in New Port Richey, Florida. The case has been assigned Case Number: 24-004221-CI and will be presided over by Judge Howard Coker.