A settlement has finally been reached in the case of an elderly woman who was scalded nearly to death four years ago.
Theresa Rodriguez, a mentally-handicapped resident at a Redwood City nursing home, was seated in the shower when a malfunction caused 145-degree water to be poured in her lap. She suffered third degree burns over 60 percent of her body, but her caretaker just dressed her in a diaper and did not alert a supervisor for over two hours. When an official was finally notified, Theresa was airlifted to a hospital where she spent over two hours on life support.
Theresa’s county is her legal guardian and it sought both punitive and actual damages for her injuries, which were so significant that her hospital care costs $3,000 a day. The caretaker was arrested only a few months after the incident for elder abuse related to Theresa’ case. During the investigation in the caretaker’s role, prosecutors learned that the home forbid workers from calling 911 until they first contacted a supervisor; the aide was still arrested, however, for waiting two hours before notifying her boss.
Neither side’s attorney returned calls about the details of the settlement, but it halted what was estimated to be a 25-day trial.