Steven M. Levin
Michael F. Bonamarte, IV
Margaret P. Battersby Black
Nicholas Emerson
Attorneys Steve Levin, Mike Bonamarte, Margaret Battersby Black, and Nick Emerson recently secured what is believed to be the largest reported settlement against a CILA (Community Integrated Living Arrangement) in Illinois history: $6 million for the family of a 25-year-old man who died in a group home due to grossly negligent care.
The young man had autism and suffered from psychogenic polydipsia, a rare condition that causes compulsive water consumption and can be deadly if unmonitored. Months before his death, he was hospitalized with severe hyponatremia. Doctors issued clear instructions to group home staff: limit his fluid intake to 2.5 liters per day and monitor it closely.
Initially, staff followed the plan. But without warning or documentation, the safeguards began to fade. Monitoring stopped. No alternate plan was put in place. And even as staff continued reporting troubling behavior, such as him sneaking water, no one reinstated the critical protections.
One night, he vomited. Staff cleaned him up and sent him back to bed without seeking medical attention. He was found dead six hours later. The cause: water intoxication.
His death was entirely preventable. The danger was well known. The solution had already been in place. But the failure to maintain consistent care cost him his life.
Levin & Perconti fought tirelessly to secure this settlement, but no amount of money can make up for everything the family went through. Cases like this one expose the abuse many CILA residents endure, often caused by understaffing, lack of training, and facilities putting profit before the safety of their residents. The CILA attorneys at Levin & Perconti continue to lead the charge in holding CILAs accountable, exposing patterns of abuse and neglect, and pursuing justice for individuals and families whose trust has been betrayed.
