The family of Nicholas Cymbol, a severely diabetic man who authorities say died at the hands of a nurse overseeing his care, has filed a wrongful death suit against Sunnyview Nursing and Rehabilitation Center in Butler County, Pennsylvania. The lawsuit alleges that the nurse, Heather Pressdee, was allowed to mistreat and bully Cymbol, ultimately causing his death. Pressdee has been charged with administering excessive doses of insulin to patients, including Cymbol, who was one of 17 patients who died under her care. The family’s attorney, Rob Peirce, has filed the suit on behalf of Cymbol’s family, accusing the facility of negligence, failure to train employees to recognize and report abuse, and failure to remove Pressdee from Cymbol’s care despite her abusive behavior.
Cymbol, 43, was a resident at Sunnyview and required around-the-clock care due to his medical conditions. Pressdee, who was hired in January 2023, had a history of bullying and mistreating residents, including Cymbol. She allegedly insulted, berated, and bullied Cymbol, calling him derogatory terms in front of staff and preventing other nurses from providing him with food and water. Despite red flags indicating her abusive behavior, the facility did not remove Pressdee from Cymbol’s care. On April 30, 2023, Pressdee administered an excessive dose of insulin to Cymbol, causing his blood sugar to plummet. Despite attempts to reverse the drop in his blood sugar, Cymbol’s condition continued to deteriorate, leading to his death on May 1, 2023.
Following Cymbol’s death, an investigation by the Pennsylvania Office of the Attorney General revealed that Pressdee had administered the lethal dose of insulin to him. Pressdee was terminated by Sunnyview for her abusive behavior, and she sent a sympathy card to Cymbol’s family after his death. The lawsuit alleges that Sunnyview failed to properly vet Pressdee before hiring her, despite her history of abusive behavior at previous medical facilities. The facility also failed to train staff to recognize and report abuse, allowing Pressdee’s mistreatment of residents to continue unabated. Several residents under Pressdee’s care died under suspicious circumstances, but the facility ignored staff concerns regarding her treatment of residents.
Pressdee was arrested and charged with multiple counts of homicide and neglect in connection with several resident deaths at different care facilities. The criminal investigation into Pressdee is ongoing, and her lawyers have stated that she may plead guilty to the charges against her. The civil lawsuit filed by Cymbol’s family seeks compensatory and punitive damages and demands a jury trial to hold Sunnyview accountable for their negligence in allowing Pressdee to mistreat residents. Attorney Rob Peirce, representing Cymbol’s family, emphasized the need for answers as to why facilities allowed Pressdee to continue working despite her abusive behavior, leading to the tragic deaths of vulnerable residents under her care.
