Shortly before a civil trial was set to begin, a Bluffton care home and its parent company settled with the family of a dementia patient who wandered from the facility and died, according to the Beaufort County Clerk of Court’s office.
Jury selection was scheduled to begin Monday in the wrongful death lawsuit against The Palmettos of Bluffton and its parent company National Healthcare Corporation. The suit was filed by the family of Jack Tribble, whose body was found within walking distance of the assisted living facility nearly two weeks after he wandered out of its memory care unit in August 2023.
Details of the settlement were not immediately available, including via online court filings. Robert Rikard, whose Columbia-based personal injury law firm is representing the Tribble family, did not respond to a phone call requesting comment Monday afternoon…