Family of employee who died of COVID-19 sues Brighton Rehab

NEW BRIGHTON, Pa. — A Beaver County nursing home is facing a wrongful death lawsuit from the family of an employee who died after contracting COVID-19.

The lawsuit was filed by the daughter of Elizabeth Wiles. It names 10 defendants including Brighton Rehab & Wellness and its parent company, Comprehensive Healthcare Management Services.

Brighton Rehab has seen more deaths from COVID-19 than any other nursing home in the state. It’s also been the focus of criticism from multiple families and fined more than $62,000 by the federal government for its response to the pandemic.

The lawsuit is the first major action taken against the nursing home.

Wiles was an essential worker at the nursing home for nearly 30 years and passionate about her job, according to the lawsuit. The suit said she didn’t deserve to die a “preventable and premature death from COVID-19.”

The Wiles family attorney called the facility a “hellhole” and said, “it failed to provide basic personal protective equipment” to its workers and told them it was a “safe place to work as the COVID crisis raged.”

The lawsuit alleges that Brighton Rehab intentionally misrepresented the safety of its facility in order to continue making money and deceive the state about the severity of the outbreak.

The Wiles family is seeking a jury trial.

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