Nursing Home Lawsuit Filed Against The Springs Of Arkansas Jonesboro Facility Over Severe Bedsore

Arkansas resident suffers life-threatening and ongoing wound complications; complaint cites facility operating below safe staffing levels

LITTLE ROCK, AR, UNITED STATES, August 15, 2025 /EINPresswire.com/ -- The Law Office of Thomas G. Buchanan has filed a comprehensive 85-page personal injury lawsuit in the Circuit Court of Craighead County, Arkansas, Case No. 16JCV-25-1966, on behalf of Matthew James Tucker against The Springs Jonesboro and a network of related entities operating under "The Springs Arkansas" brand. The complaint alleges that severe understaffing led to Mr. Tucker developing an infected pressure wound requiring ICU admission, despite entering the facility with intact skin.

Mr. Tucker, 56, was admitted to The Springs Jonesboro on August 29, 2023, to recover from recent surgeries. According to the lawsuit, he had no pressure injuries upon admission. The complaint states that within 15 days of readmission to the facility, Mr. Tucker developed an infected, unstageable pressure wound that progressed to life-threatening sepsis, myositis, cellulitis, and suspected osteomyelitis, requiring emergency ICU admission, weeks of IV antibiotics, months of painful wound care, and ongoing monitoring and treatment that continues today.

Documented Staffing Deficiencies

The complaint cites the facility's own data reported to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), indicating that The Springs Jonesboro's registered nurse (RN) staffing averaged only 0.30 hours per resident per day in August 2023—33% below studied thresholds—and plummeted to 0.21 hours in September 2023, a 53% deficit. On certain days, according to the lawsuit, residents received less than 5 minutes of RN care in a 24-hour period.

"The facility's own reported data shows they operated below evidence-based thresholds for 60 of 61 days during the relevant period," said attorney Thomas G. Buchanan. "When you have one RN responsible for 109 residents, as the complaint alleges happened during Mr. Tucker's stay, the mathematical reality is that adequate care becomes impossible."

The lawsuit references a June 2023 CMS-commissioned study that established evidence-based minimum staffing levels necessary to prevent residents from being at "substantially increased risk" of harm. According to the complaint, The Springs Jonesboro operated below even the study's lowest threshold throughout Mr. Tucker's residency.

Out-of-State Ownership Structure

The lawsuit names multiple defendants, including facility owners Jacob Taub, Chaim Herzberg, Isaac Gutman, and Alexander Hoffman—all based in New York and New Jersey. The complaint alleges these individuals operate through a network of limited liability companies while controlling over 25 nursing homes across Arkansas.

According to the complaint, this corporate structure involves multiple LLCs operating under "The Springs Arkansas" brand, with centralized decision-making regarding staffing, budgets, and care policies made from outside Arkansas. The lawsuit seeks to establish joint liability through various legal theories.

"The complaint alleges that budget decisions, staffing levels, and operational policies are set by owners located over a thousand miles away," Buchanan said. "We intend to demonstrate how this structure impacts the care Arkansas residents receive."

Alleged Timeline of Deterioration

The lawsuit describes a rapid progression of Mr. Tucker's condition:
• August 29, 2023: Mr. Tucker admitted with intact skin, no pressure injuries
• August 30, 2023: Director of Nursing documents treating Mr. Tucker's coccyx area without physician orders
• September 1, 2023: Hospital documents Stage 2 pressure wound on coccyx
• September 7, 2023: Mr. Tucker readmitted with specific wound care instructions from hospital
• September 8, 2023: Facility incorrectly documents coccyx as "clear" despite hospital documentation
• September 22, 2023: Wound deteriorates to unstageable state
• September 24, 2023: Mr. Tucker develops sepsis requiring ICU admission

Hospital records cited in the complaint show the wound had progressed to the bone, with laboratory tests revealing serious infection requiring aggressive IV antibiotic treatment that continued for weeks.

Alleged Pattern of Regulatory Violations

The complaint details how The Springs Jonesboro had been repeatedly cited by Arkansas regulators for failures in pressure wound prevention, infection control, and basic care—the exact issues alleged to have led to Mr. Tucker's injuries. Citations referenced in the lawsuit include failures to prevent and treat pressure wounds, provide adequate nutritional support, follow physician orders, and maintain infection control protocols.

According to the complaint, despite this documented history and knowledge of staffing levels through their own CMS reporting, operations continued without addressing these deficiencies.

Seeking Accountability and Reform

The lawsuit seeks compensatory damages for Mr. Tucker's pain, suffering, ongoing medical treatment, and other harms, as well as punitive damages. The complaint characterizes the alleged conduct as demonstrating conscious indifference to resident safety.

"Mr. Tucker entered this facility to recover from surgery and instead suffered a preventable, life-altering injury that continues to require treatment," said Buchanan. "This case raises important questions about nursing home staffing and oversight. We need the owners in New York and New Jersey to recognize that staffing and quality care aren’t optional extras but core responsibilities for our most vulnerable citizens. We intend to pursue full accountability through the legal process."

The complaint notes that Mr. Tucker's wound continues to require monitoring and treatment nearly two years after the initial injury, highlighting the lasting impact of the alleged care failures.

About the Law Office of Thomas G. Buchanan

The Law Office of Thomas G. Buchanan (https://thomasbuchananlaw.com) focuses on nursing home neglect, medical malpractice, and catastrophic injury cases. Attorney Buchanan has been recognized as a "Super Lawyer" and received the Outstanding Trial Lawyer Award in Arkansas.

Thomas G. Buchanan
Law Office of Thomas G. Buchanan
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