Settlement checks delayed for families of Bob Dean nursing home residents

NEW ORLEANS (WVUE) - A Jefferson Parish judge on Tuesday (Sept. 20), delayed a hearing to determine whether an insurance settlement against nursing home operator Bob Dean can move forward.

Dean is under indictment for evacuating more than 840 nursing home residents to a “nightmarish” warehouse in Independence, Louisiana during Hurricane Ida. The residents, some elderly and in need of special medical attention, were forced to sleep on mattresses on the floor, without adequate staff, and poor sanitation. Seven people died.

Nearly 30 attorneys for families of those residents filed into court Tuesday saying not enough has been done to determine Dean’s worth and what he should pay to those who suffered.

“My dad said he was in his feces and urine for days. He said there was water everywhere, dirt everywhere, he was not eating,” says Rashell Powell.

Judge Michael Mentz ruled the case be delayed 30 days to allow more time to determine Dean’s assets.

“It is so grossly unfair that he can walk away without paying a dollar,” said attorney Morris Bart, holding a picture of one of Dean’s ranch properties.

Attorneys for some plaintiffs say settlement money available through insurance is dwindling by thousands of dollars each day, and it’s best to move forward quickly to provide clients with as much as $15,000 a piece for now.

The settlement hearing will now take place on Nov. 2.

See a spelling or grammar error in our story? Click Here to report it. Please include the headline.

Copyright 2022 WVUE. All rights reserved.