Attorneys argue over Bob Dean’s worth as families await settlement checks

JEFFERSON PARISH, La. (WVUE) - A Jefferson Parish judge is considering a class-action settlement over nursing home owner Bob Dean’s deadly evacuation of residents during Hurricane Ida.

Some plaintiffs have argued that not enough has been done to determine Dean’s worth and what he should pay to the families of those who suffered.

The proposed settlement is for $15 million. Each victim’s family would receive up to $17,000.

Dean is facing criminal charges for the botched evacuation of seven of his nursing home properties to what was described as a “nightmarish” warehouse in Independence. Residents were forced to sleep on mattresses on the floor without adequate staff and poor sanitation.

Seven people died.

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Last month, a judge in Georgia appointed Dean’s wife, Karen Dean, as his emergency guardian after medical records determined he was diagnosed with dementia, short-term memory issues, and bipolar disorder.

Dean, unlikely to testify, has not given any sworn statements on the evacuation so far.

Dean’s attorneys argue that all of his assets, including his nursing homes, have been seized after his operating licenses were pulled by the state’s department of health. They say Dean is now at least $40 million in debt and now owes over $73 million in lawsuit judgments. Any money Dean does have, his attorneys say is frozen in court, owed to the banks and the U.S. attorney.

Attorneys for the victims pushed back against that analysis and point out that Dean has not filed for bankruptcy and say there are other companies Dean is part of and other assets that push his net worth higher than his total debt.

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