A Butler County jury has delivered a major blow to Chesterwood Village, ordering the West Chester nursing home to pay $12.5 million after finding its care led to the death of 83-year-old resident Janice Combs. The nine-day trial ended with a verdict that includes $1.5 million in punitive damages, and Combs’ family says the size of the award speaks to both the severity of her injuries and gaps in how the facility documented what happened.
According to a press release from plaintiffs’ counsel, the May 14 verdict includes $1 million in survivorship damages, $8 million in wrongful-death damages, $2 million tied to violations of Ohio’s Nursing Home Residents’ Bill of Rights, and $1.5 million in punitive damages. The case is listed as Estate of Janice Darlene Combs v. Chesterwood Village, Case No. CV 2024 06 1161, in court records cited by Eadie Law.
Plaintiffs say Combs, who was blind, had been living independently before a fall at home led to her admission to Chesterwood for short-term rehab in June 2023. She returned to the facility from a geriatric evaluation on June 19. About two hours later, lawyers alleged, staff dropped her while transferring her from a wheelchair to her bed. Paramedics ran reports, and trial testimony described a wound on the back of her head and blood found in her room, according to WCPO.
Chesterwood Advanced Therapy and Nursing Care has pushed back on the jury’s findings. In a statement, the facility said it “strongly disagrees with the verdict and is reviewing our legal options,” and noted that the incident took place under a previous clinical leadership team. The home also pointed to its five-star Medicare rating and an AHCA/NCAL Bronze National Quality Award in the same statement, provided to WCPO.
Inspections and Oversight
Federal inspection data paint a more complicated picture than the marketing brochures. Records compiled by ProPublica show Chesterwood has received several deficiency citations in recent years, including a residents' rights violation in May 2023 and infection-control findings in 2025. Those reports, which sit behind the facility’s star ratings, come from Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services data summarized by ProPublica.
Jury Findings and Damages
Jurors answered written questions, finding that Chesterwood breached the applicable standard of care and that this breach directly caused Combs’ injuries and death. They also found that the defendants violated Ohio’s Nursing Home Residents’ Bill of Rights, R.C. 3721.13, which protects residents’ rights to proper treatment and to live free from abuse. The statute is available through the Ohio Revised Code, and the detailed breakdown of the verdict appears in the press release from Eadie Law.
What Comes Next
Defense attorneys have already signaled that the courtroom drama is not over. They plan to file post-trial motions and pursue an appeal, while the family’s representative called the verdict “justice for her,” referring to Combs, in comments reported by local outlets. Those reactions, along with the nursing home’s public statement, were covered by organizations including WHIO, which relayed remarks from both sides of the case. For now, the jury’s decision stands, but the legal fight is expected to continue as the case moves through the next round of filings and potential appeals.
