The family of a man who died at the hands of a nurse in a nursing home has filed a wrongful death suit against the facility where he lived. The nurse, Heather Pressdee, has been charged with administering excessive doses of insulin to patients, including 17 who died. The lawsuit alleges that Pressdee berated and bullied the man, Nicholas Cymbol, leading to his death. Sunnyview Nursing and Rehabilitation Center, where Cymbol died, is accused of negligence in failing to recognize and report the abuse and remove Pressdee from his care.
Nicholas Cymbol, a resident at Sunnyview Nursing and Rehabilitation Center, had various health issues that required around-the-clock care. Heather Pressdee, his nurse, was accused of insulting, bullying, and abusing him, as well as preventing other nurses from providing care to him. Despite warning signs and red flags, the facility did not remove Pressdee from his care. On April 30, 2023, Pressdee administered an excessive dose of insulin to Cymbol, leading to his hospitalization for hypoglycemia. After being discharged from the hospital, Cymbol’s condition continued to worsen, and he ultimately died on May 1.
The lawsuit alleges that Sunnyview Nursing and Rehabilitation Center failed to properly train staff to recognize and report abuse by Pressdee. The facility ignored concerns raised by nursing staff about suspicious deaths of residents who were under Pressdee’s care. Pressdee was subsequently terminated for exhibiting abusive behavior towards residents and staff. A criminal investigation into Pressdee revealed that she had a history of abusive tendencies and was forced to resign or terminated from several previous jobs before she worked at Sunnyview.
Pressdee was arrested and charged with two counts of criminal homicide in connection with the deaths of two residents at another facility. In November, she faced additional charges of attempted homicide and neglect of care-dependent persons for deaths at various facilities. In Cymbol’s case, she was charged with murder and criminal neglect. The family of Nicholas Cymbol has filed a civil lawsuit seeking compensatory and punitive damages against Sunnyview Nursing and Rehabilitation Center. Pressdee’s lawyers mentioned the possibility of her pleading guilty to the charges and emphasized the issue of negligent hiring and supervision in the case.
The lawsuit highlights the failures of Sunnyview Nursing and Rehabilitation Center in hiring Pressdee despite her troubled history and inconsistent behavior at the facility. Staff and residents raised concerns about suspicious deaths under Pressdee’s care, but the facility failed to address the issue. Pressdee’s arrest and subsequent charges shed light on a pattern of misconduct and negligence that had been overlooked for years. The family of Nicholas Cymbol seeks justice and accountability through the legal system for the wrongful death of their loved one due to the actions of a negligent nurse and a facility that failed to protect its residents.
