Families reach $5.5-million settlement in lawsuit against Quebec long-term care home

Wechsler said the pandemic amplified an already existing condition that was the subject of the lawsuit, which alleged the long-term care home acted recklessly and showed a disregard for its residents and their safety.

“COVID-19 brought to light what we alleged in the settlement was the mistreatment to the various residents of the Herron long-term health care facility — what the most fragile, vulnerable people were undergoing,” Wechsler said in an interview.

“Because of the COVID pandemic, it brought that to the surface. We weren’t alleging that COVID caused this. We were alleging a treatment or mistreatment which was already existing.”

Last year, Herron’s owners, Katasa Group of Gatineau, Que., announced they were closing the facility. A public relations firm that has been representing the owners said they did not have any immediate comment on the settlement.

Wechsler said there were about 134 residents at the facility in April 2020 when the class action was filed. The class includes those at the residence between March 13, 2020 and May 31, 2020, when the province took over management.

The settlement would be distributed among surviving spouses or children of the residents who died and residents who are still living.

The lawsuit was filed on behalf of Barbara Schneider, the daughter of Mary Schneider, 93, who died at the Residence Herron on April 10. There were 47 deaths at the Dorval, Que., facility, which will be the focus of a coroner’s inquest this fall.

Those hearings were delayed last month until September at the request of the Herron owners, who are waiting to see if they will face criminal charges.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 31, 2021.

Sidhartha Banerjee, The Canadian Press

by The Canadian Press

Families reach $5.5-million settlement in lawsuit against Quebec long-term care home

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