COLUMBUS, Ohio — The family of Robert Weaver, a 74-year-old resident at Cherry Blossom Senior Living, has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the assisted living facility, alleging negligence after Weaver froze to death outside the facility on a bitterly cold January night. Attorneys for Weaver’s family say the facility failed in its duty to provide adequate supervision and safety measures, despite knowing Weaver’s specific risk of wandering due to Alzheimer’s dementia.
According to the lawsuit, Weaver was admitted to Cherry Blossom in November 2023 with the understanding that he needed 24-hour supervision and locked exterior doors to prevent him from leaving the premises unsupervised. However, on January 20, 2024, shortly after 1 a.m., Weaver reportedly exited an unlocked door and was later found dead after enduring temperatures as low as seven degrees. Family attorneys cite surveillance footage that allegedly shows Weaver wandering inside the facility’s common areas, appearing visibly confused and anxious in the hours before he exited the building.
“The tragic death of Robert Weaver underscores a profound and heartbreaking failure in the duty of care owed to him by Cherry Blossom Senior Living,” said Michael Hill, the trial attorney representing the Weaver family. “Facilities entrusted with the well-being of vulnerable individuals, like Mr. Weaver, must have the systems, staff, and vigilance necessary to prevent such avoidable tragedies. We are committed to seeking justice for the Weaver family and holding those responsible accountable to ensure no other family has to endure this kind of preventable loss.”
The suit argues that Cherry Blossom Senior Living’s negligence included inadequate assessment, planning, monitoring, and staffing to manage Weaver’s known risk of elopement, which attorneys claim directly led to his fatal exposure to the freezing elements. The complaint alleges multiple failures on the part of the facility, including a lack of an appropriate care plan for Weaver’s memory and elopement risk, and that inadequate staff and supervision led to this tragic outcome.
Cherry Blossom Senior Living is part of Continental Senior Communities, a network of senior care facilities across Ohio, including locations in Granville, Dublin, and Powell. The lawsuit raises broader concerns about Continental’s standards for managing dementia patients and preventing resident elopement.
The Weaver family, represented by attorneys Michael Hill and his legal team, hopes that the case will bring changes in procedures and accountability across similar facilities. Hill emphasized that the lawsuit seeks not only justice for the family but also aims to prevent similar incidents from occurring in the future.