Louisiana Nurse Charged After Patient Dies in Horrific Bed-Lift Accident She Tried to Handle Alone

BATON ROUGE, LOUISIANA – A Louisiana nursing home worker has been indicted on negligent homicide charges after a patient died from blunt force injuries when she attempted to move them using a hydraulic bed lift by herself, according to the State Attorney General’s Office.

Fatal Fall at Jefferson Manor Nursing and Rehabilitation Center

Authorities say Diamond Johnson, a former certified nursing assistant at Jefferson Manor Nursing and Rehabilitation Center, was working alone on June 25, 2024, when the deadly incident occurred.

According to a statement from Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill, Johnson was instructed to use a hydraulic lift to move a patient from a chair to a bed — but chose to operate the device without assistance, violating safety procedures.

During the process, the patient “slipped out the side of the sling” and fell onto the metal base of the lift, suffering devastating internal injuries.

“The patient became unresponsive approximately 40 minutes after the fall,” Murrill’s office said. “Resuscitation efforts were unsuccessful.”

An autopsy later determined the victim died from complications of blunt force trauma caused by the fall.

Indictment and Investigation

The case was investigated by the Medicaid Fraud Control Unit within the Attorney General’s Office, which handles abuse and neglect in state-funded facilities.

After months of review, a grand jury convened on October 2, 2025, returning an indictment for negligent homicide. Johnson was later booked into the East Baton Rouge Parish Prison.

“My job as Attorney General is to protect the citizens of this state — especially those who can’t protect themselves,” Murrill said in a statement.
“The grand jury agreed that Ms. Johnson’s negligence directly led to this tragic death.”

Facility Response and Ongoing Oversight

Jefferson Manor describes itself as a facility “dedicated to improving the quality of life” for residents, emphasizing its commitment to “dignity and individualized care.”

However, the center has not issued a formal comment on Johnson’s indictment.

State investigators say the case underscores the need for strict adherence to two-person lift policies in nursing homes — designed to prevent the kind of avoidable fatal accident that claimed this resident’s life.

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