(Beaver, Pa.) A press conference was held in front of the Beaver County Court House announcing that a complaint was filed Wednesday morning in the Beaver County Court of Common Pleas by three area law firms against Brighton Rehabilitation and Wellness Center.

Attorney’s from Robert Peirce & Associates, Massa, Butler, and Giglione, and McMillen Urick and Tocci who filed the complaint, on behalf of ten of the families who lost loved ones, held the press conference and they alleging that  throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, from early March to the present, Brighton Rehab failed to follow necessary and vital precautions which would have prevented the rampant spread of COVID-19 throughout the facility. During this time, Brighton Rehab was cited by the Pennsylvania Department of Health for numerous regulatory violations that placed residents in “immediate jeopardy.” Allegations include that the facility failed to make sure proper social distancing protocols were followed by staff, that residents were not tested or quarantined away from other residents who had tested positive for COVID-19, proper PPE was not worn by staff, and proper cleaning protocols were not followed; all which lead to the cross contamination and spread of COVID-19.

In the end, at Brighton Rehab, over 300 residents and staff contracting the virus, and over 73 residents died as a result. In April, cases at Brighton Rehab accounted for approximately 54% of Beaver County’s 298 cases. At the time, 30 residents had died of COVID-19, which was nearly 85% of Beaver County’s total deaths.

Beaver County Radio is in the process of reaching out to Brighton Rehab and Wellness for comment