Family Awarded $5M in Woman’s Michigan Retirement Home Death

A jury has awarded $5 million to relatives of a 90-year-old woman who died after ingesting detergent at a Detroit-area retirement facility.

The Oakland Press reports an Oakland County jury reached the verdict this month after a seven-day trial. The case against Watermark Retirement Communities, which operates The Fountains at Franklin in Southfield, stems from Willie Mae Henderson’s 2012 death.

Henderson, who suffered from dementia, took dishwasher detergent from a kitchen cabinet and ingested it. Family attorney Lawrence Buckfire says she suffered severe burns and died 13 days later.

Buckfire says the facility neglected to provide adequate supervision and secure cabinets. Watermark attorneys deny those allegations and write in a court document that the incident “was caused either totally or partially by” Henderson’s negligence.

Topics Michigan