![Attorney disagrees with settlement in Bob Dean nursing home evacuation case](https://media-cdn.socastsrm.com/wordpress/wp-content/blogs.dir/2176/files/2022/06/bob-dean-mug-shot.jpeg)
Bob Dean, courtesy of Tangipahoa Sheriff's Office June 22, 2022
An attorney for nearly 200 nursing home patients who were housed in a hot filthy, warehouse during Hurricane Ida says a judge’s decision to settle a class action lawsuit is extremely unfair. Before Ida hit, nursing home owner Bob Dean moved more than 800 elderly and frail people from his nursing homes into the warehouse in Tangipahoa Parish.
Attorney Morris Bart represents 180 of those patients in individual lawsuits. He adamantly opposes the 12.5 million dollar settlement, handed down by a Jefferson Parish judge.
“It’s just a shock and it’s an insult to everyone who went through this harm, the numerous people who died,” said Bart.
Attorneys estimate between 100 and 200 of those patients have died since Ida. Dean is facing multiple criminal charges in connection with the incident.
“Preventing the authorities from coming in and helping these people, not having nurses, having people lie in their water and feces,” said Bart.
Bart says the class action lawsuit superseded the individual lawsuits and the settlement was forced on his clients over his objections. He estimates each patient would only receive around $10,000 at the most if the settlement stands, in a case he says is worth six figures for each patient. Dean’s attorneys argue he can’t afford to pay more.
“He’s got a lot of assets, millions and millions of dollars of assets, he continues to live as a king in a large estate in Georgia,” said Bart.
One of Dean’s attorneys says he’s lost everything. Court records say Dean has dementia, short-term memory issues, and bipolar disorder.
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