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Articles / In the Press

George Kindley – 100 Influential Leaders in San Diego – San Diego Daily Transcript

Growing up in Virginia, Kindley was close to his grandparents and the elderly neighbors who helped shape and mold him. There was a nursing home close by where he spent time with elders, too.

Years later, when he saw elders being abused at nursing homes and elsewhere, it hit a sensitive nerve.

“That was a big motivator when I got out law school and joined a defense firm that handled some nursing home cases. It broke my heart to see what they underwent,” said Kindley, who has a boutique firm law firm, the Kindley Firm, APC, focused on personal injury and elderly abuse litigation.

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The Kindley Firm, APC, Included in 2016 SDBJ Best of the Bar

San Diego Business Journal Recognizes George Kindley and Henry Harmeling

San Diego, Calif. – March 24, 2016 – The San Diego Business Journal has honored George Kindley, founder of The Kindley Firm, APC, and Henry Harmeling, attorney at The Kindley Firm, APC as part of the 2016 Best of the Bar List. Kindley and Harmeling have received votes from fellow legal professionals as top lawyers in San Diego, earning them the distinction of Best of the Bar 2016.

The San Diego Business Journal has honored and showcased the San Diego lawyers who have made a significant impact on their profession and community in their 2016 Best of the Bar list. More than 1,200 attorneys in San Diego county voted for the legal professionals that they believe exemplify integrity and exemplary service.

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Investigating and Pursuing RCFE Elder Abuse and Neglect Cases

By: George R. Kindley, San Diego, CA

As increasing numbers of Baby Boomers are aging and entering into care facilities, including Residential Care Facilities for the Elderly (RCFE), new homes are popping up all over the country. Unfortunately, caring for the most vulnerable members of our society often falls to understaffed and undertrained facilities. More unfortunate is that most of these facilities are capable to provide the necessary resources and training but choose not to do so simply to make even more money.

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Best Practices for Investigating and Pursuing Elder Abuse and Neglect Cases

By George R. Kindley, San Diego, CA

Caring for the most vulnerable members of our society often falls to some of the most understaffed and underfunded facilities in our nation. As a state, California attempted to protect our elderly and dependent adults by enacting 1991’s California’s Elder and Dependent Adult Civil Protection Act (EADACPA). Additionally, the recent 2014 residential reform bills have provided additional legal protections for elderly and dependent adults in Residential Care Facilities for the Elderly (“RCFEs”).

The ten bills, signed into law by Governor Jerry Brown, were designed to address the ongoing issues we are experiencing in RCFEs in California. Unfortunately, despite these efforts, abuses continue to occur and investigating and pursuing neglect and abuse claims can be extremely difficult.

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Vista Jury Awards a Groundbreaking Verdict in Elder Abuse/Neglect Case

(VISTA—June 15, 2009) — In a groundbreaking elder abuse/neglect case, a Vista jury unanimously awarded plaintiff Elaine Stinson nearly $1.34 million for the reckless abuse and neglect she suffered at the hands of her care providers at Leisure Palms, a Fallbrook licensed residential care facility for the elderly. The verdict was decided today, June 15, 2009.

The jury awarded $88,000 for past medical bills, $500,000 in general damages, and $750,000 in punitive damages. In addition, plaintiff’s attorneys will file a post-judgment motion for attorneys, expert fees, and costs, likely adding another $400,000 or more to the judgment.

“This is the first of its kind in a case that gets at reckless neglect in a residential care facility for the elderly,” according to Prescott Cole, senior staff attorney of California Advocates for Nursing Home Reform, a statewide nonprofit advocacy organization dedicated to improving the choices, care and quality of life for California’s long term care consumers. “This case defined what reckless neglect is and the verdict shines a bright light on it. The 3.8 million seniors in California and 38 million Californians overall are all rich winners today; and we have Mrs. Stinson and her attorneys to thank for being courageous enough to go all the way to clarify the law. They moved the bar way up, made a statement that these kinds of things can go to trial, the jury gets it, understands how bad it is, and the defense can’t hide under the assumption that clients can be browbeaten, intimidated by the system, and will give up before achieving justice. As an advocate, this is thrilling.”