BOCA RATON, FL (BocaNewsNow.com) (Copyright © 2026 MetroDesk Media, LLC) — Horrific pressure sores that allegedly led to death are at the core of a a lawsuit filed Friday against Encore Nursing and Rehab in Boca Raton. The complaint was filed by Erinn Green, acting as personal representative of the estate of her late husband David Stangoni.
According to the complaint obtained by BocaNewsNow.com, Stangoni was admitted to the facility on April 9, 2024, free of any pressure injuries and with an initial assessment indicating he was not at significant risk for skin breakdown. However, the lawsuit alleges that Stangoni had multiple risk factors that were not adequately addressed — including low protein levels, reduced mobility, impaired cognition, and brain cancer. Just nine days after admission, a wound was documented on his sacrum, and within 16 days, deep tissue pressure injuries had developed on both heels. By April 25, he was transferred to Bethesda Hospital East with a Stage 4 sacral wound described as deep, foul-smelling, and draining — then re-hospitalized the next day at JFK Hospital for a necrotic wound and worsened condition.
The complaint outlines more than a dozen specific failures allegedly committed by the facility and its staff, including: failing to implement proper turning and repositioning schedules; not documenting or enforcing heel offloading protocols; conducting inaccurate Braden pressure risk assessments; failing to revise care plans as the patient’s condition deteriorated; and maintaining inconsistent and contradictory nursing records — some completed days after the fact. The lawsuit also alleges that on April 17, 2024, two nursing notes completed the same day gave conflicting accounts of Stangoni’s skin condition, with one noting an open wound and another indicating intact skin.
David Stangoni died on May 4, 2024. The complaint, filed by Scott M. Fischer of Morgan & Morgan’s West Palm Beach office, makes a wrongful death claim and a survival claim — each seeking damages in excess of $50,000. The lawsuit names the facility as vicariously liable for the acts and omissions of its employees, agents, and contractors. Encore has not yet filed a response to the suit.
