KALISPELL — Additional plaintiffs and allegations have been added to a lawsuit filed in October on behalf of families whose loved ones passed away from COVID-19 at the Whitefish Care and Rehabilitation Center.
Seven plaintiffs joined the complaint along with four additional causes of action against the defendants. The additional counts include Conspiracy, Alter Ego, Common Enterprise and Negligence Management.
Whitefish Care and Rehabilitation Center has seen more than a dozen resident deaths related to COVID-19 since an outbreak occurred there in mid-August, including the lives of seven plaintiffs in the lawsuit.
Whitefish Care and Rehabilitation Center, parent company Sweetwater Whitefish Opco and Whitefish Care and Rehab Executive Director Reid Crickmore were all named as defendants in the case.
A Focus Control survey conducted by the Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services (DPHHS) on Aug. showed staff members were rooming presumptive COVID-19 positive residents with COVID-19 negative residents.
The report also said staff were entering COVID-19 positive resident rooms without proper PPE.
McGarvey Law of Kalispell and Heenan and Cook of Billings filed the lawsuit as well as the demand for a jury trial. Click here to view the complaint.
