News Report | March 2, 2021
Sunrise Facility Ruled Immune For COVID-Related Deaths Under Federal Rules
On February 10, 2021, a federal judge ruled the actions taken by a senior living operator in response to coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) make the facility eligible for complete liability immunity under the Public Readiness and Emergency Preparedness (PREP) Act. The ruling was in response to a lawsuit against Sunrise Villa Bradford, an assisted living and memory care community in Placentia, California, and its corporate parents Sunrise Senior Living and Welltower. The plaintiffs alleged that the facility had ignored proper COVID-19 infection control measures, and the corporate parent organizations had a “scheme to prioritize profits over resident care . . .