Family Files Wrongful Death Lawsuit

Darlington, SCThe family of Mary Terry has filed a wrongful death lawsuit after she died of extreme malnutrition and neglect in the month of February 2008. The two members of her family that have jointly filed the wrongful death lawsuit are Andrew Gurley and Clarence Sims. Mary Terry was placed in the care of two other family members. Terry's son Timothy Sims and her nephew Less Williams were put in place as her caregivers.

Sims and Williams are both charged with the abuse of a vulnerable adult resulting in death. Timothy Sims took on the responsibility of caring for Ms. Terry in 2005 despite social workers having specific knowledge of Timothy Sims' alcohol problem.

62-year old Mary Terry was removed from the living situation when she was discovered to weigh a mere fifty-two pounds. The horrendous condition she was left in caused her to obtain bed sores that were teeming with maggots numbering in the thousands. Human excrement and urine were discovered on the furniture and floors of the home in addition to rat feces. Ms. Terry had not eaten in approximately thirty days when she was found in this condition. Ms. Terry was eventually discovered to be in this situation when Department of Social Services. Employees came to take care of her 82 year old mother.

The family members that filed the lawsuit are suing Department of Social Services. Employee Lisa Gibson who worked as a caretaker, the Darlington County Department of Social Services, Ada Antoine a social worker involved with Mary Terry's case, and the State Department of Social Services. One undisclosed social worker has been apprehended by Darlington Police. Lisa Gibson of Department of Social Services gave herself up to police. Ms. Gibson is said to have visited the home where Ms. Terry was living eleven times within a seventy-five day span of time and did not report the situation to the proper authorities, which is the main impetus behind the pending lawsuit.

Details within the lawsuit allege that the many people and agencies assigned to take care of Mary Terry and her case neglected to keep tabs on her situation. It also states that those working for the agencies did not report Mary Terry's situation even when she was close to death from the extreme malnutrition. Department of Social Services had begun taking care of her in 2001. The lawsuit states that she was placed into the care of her son, Timothy Sims, despite his known alcohol problem. The case is slated to move to trial in a civil court. No specific date has been released for the trial to take place. At that point a jury will hand down a decision in regards to the matter.

By By Delsia Hartford