847-362-5385
Dudley & Lake
  • Home
  • Attorneys
    • J. Matthew Dudley
    • Thomas M. Lake
    • Peter M. Schlax
    • Kevin J. Golden
    • Samantha Papagianis
    • Daniel T. Smart
    • David Pribyl
    • Marisa Schostok
    • Alex Campos
    • Jesse Placher
    • John M. Burke
  • Practice Areas
    • Worker’s Compensation
    • Medical Malpractice
    • Nursing Home Abuse
    • Motor Vehicle Accidents
    • Trucking Accidents
    • Construction Accidents
    • Wrongful Death
    • Sexual Abuse/Assault/Photos/Filming
  • Results
  • News
  • Contact
  • 847-362-5385
  • Menu Menu
News

Family Files Lawsuit Against Gurnee Memory Care Facility After 82-Year-Old Man Left Facility, Died By Drowning

The following article was published on Lake & McHenry County Scanner on August 4, 2022.

 

A lawsuit has been filed against an assisted living facility in Gurnee after an 82-year-old man with dementia went missing from the facility and drowned. Attorneys said it was “entirely preventable.”

Jimmy Hedrich, 82, was reported missing early in the morning on July 30, 2021.

Hedrich resided at Gurnee Place Memory Care, located at 505 Hunt Club Road in Gurnee.

The man had dementia and was last seen walking away from the facility, which is near Hunt Club Road and Washington Street, police said at the time.

An Endangered Missing Person Advisory was issued for Hedrich.

The Gurnee Police Department also issued an alert asking residents to check the area around where they live for the missing man.

Police canines were used to aid in the search.

A person called 911 three days later on August 2, 2021, after spotting a body in a pond at Washington Street and Hillview Drive in Gurnee.

Authorities retrieved the body from the pond and the Lake County Coroner’s Office confirmed it was Hedrich.

The man’s cause of death was drowning and the coroner’s office said his death was not considered suspicious in nature.

A lawsuit was filed in Lake County Circuit Court on Tuesday against the memory care facility.

The lawsuit said Hedrich was known to pace the hallways at Gurnee Place and was at risk for elopement.

On the day Hedrich went missing, an exit door was broken and did not latch or alarm, the lawsuit alleged.

An employee had reportedly exited the door to throw out garbage and did not secure or latch the broken door, which was used by Hedrich a short time later to leave the facility.

Daniel Smart, an attorney for Dudley and Lake in Libertyville, told Lake and McHenry County Scanner that the incident was “entirely preventable.”

“The facility failed to have proper measures in place that would have prevented Mr. Hedrich’s elopement from the facility,” Smart said.

Smart, who represents Hedrich’s estate, said his firm is seeking to hold the facility accountable for its “negligence and recklessness” that resulted in the “unimaginable tragedy.”

The lawsuit seeks an unspecified amount of money in excess of $50,000.

A conference hearing is scheduled for November 8 in the case.

August 5, 2022
Share this entry
  • Share on Facebook
  • Share on Twitter
  • Share on LinkedIn
  • Share by Mail
https://www.dudleylake.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/Lake_McHenry_County_Scanner.jpg 931 1145 siteadministrator https://www.dudleylake.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/DudleyLake_logo.png siteadministrator2022-08-05 09:39:312022-08-05 09:41:22Family Files Lawsuit Against Gurnee Memory Care Facility After 82-Year-Old Man Left Facility, Died By Drowning

Archives

  • March 2023
  • August 2022
  • June 2022
  • May 2022
  • March 2022
  • February 2022
  • June 2021
  • May 2021
  • February 2021
  • August 2020
  • June 2020
  • March 2020
  • February 2020
  • April 2019

Libertyville Office

325 N. Milwaukee Avenue, Suite 202
Libertyville, IL 60048
Phone: 847-362-5385
Fax: 847-362-5386

Chicago Office

20 N. Clark Street, Suite 720
Chicago, IL 60602
Phone: 312-263-6300
Fax: 312-263-6356
© 2023 Dudley & Lake   |   Site Modified by Soapbox Studio
Matt Dudley Named Number 2 Nursing Home Negligence Lawyer in Illinois for 2...Will County Sheriff’s Office, Jail Negligent In Ex-Cop’s Suicide:...
Scroll to top