Evans Moore sues Charleston memory care facility in wrongful death case

Evans Moore, LLC filed a South Carolina civil lawsuit over the death of a Charleston-area memory care resident, alleging medical malpractice, personal injury and wrongful death tied to an undiscovered arm fracture and broken ribs. The complaint says the case raises questions about overnight supervision, abuse reporting and institutional care for a vulnerable Alzheimer’s patient.

Why it matters: - The lawsuit seeks civil accountability over injuries alleged to have happened while a vulnerable resident was under institutional care. - The case could test how South Carolina facilities respond when a nonverbal resident with advanced dementia shows signs of severe trauma. - The complaint also highlights how elder-abuse allegations can trigger both medical review and police investigation.

What happened: - Evans Moore, LLC filed a wrongful death, personal injury and medical malpractice lawsuit in South Carolina on behalf of the family of a deceased resident. - The case targets a Charleston-area memory care facility. - The complaint is identified as 2026-CP-10-02485. - The resident had advanced Alzheimer’s disease, was nonverbal and needed regular help with basic functions. - The lawsuit alleges the resident suffered a severe right arm fracture and multiple broken ribs on the evening of March 21, 2024. - Overnight staff did not discover the injuries until 6 a.m. the next morning, according to the filing. - The facility’s then-executive director learned of the injuries around 9 a.m. and called EMS. - The resident later died in September after hospitalization and home hospice care.

The details: - Hospital physicians at Roper St. Francis Hospital evaluated the resident after emergency transport. - Physicians notified the Charleston Police Department because the spiral arm fracture raised suspicions of physical abuse. - Family members told authorities the resident had no history of self-injury or accidental falls that could explain a severe comminuted fracture. - A Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner at the Medical University of South Carolina reviewed the medical files. - An independent elder abuse consultant also reviewed the records. - Both concluded the injuries stemmed from a physical assault rather than a standard fall, according to the complaint. - Local law enforcement opened an investigation. - Police later marked the criminal file inactive and pending after saying they could not determine which nightshift staff member was responsible. - Regional management for the facility denied causing harm and said the injuries resulted from an unwitnessed fall. - Scott C. Evans said families trust long-term care institutions to provide a safe environment and said a thorough legal review is needed when a vulnerable person suffers unexplained trauma while under professional supervision.

Between the lines: - The filing frames the case as more than a single injury claim; it raises questions about monitoring, escalation and documentation in a memory care setting. - The dispute also shows the gap that can exist between civil allegations, medical suspicion and the threshold needed for criminal charges. - The allegations and the facility’s denial leave the central factual question unresolved in court.

What's next: - The civil action is pending further proceedings in South Carolina state court. - The lawsuit will likely focus on how the injuries occurred, whether staff supervision failed and whether the facility met its care obligations. - The outcome could shape how the case is viewed in broader elder-care negligence litigation.

The bottom line: - Evans Moore is pressing a wrongful death case that hinges on whether a catastrophic injury to a dementia patient was a fall, abuse or a preventable supervision failure.