A 92-year-old woman has filed a lawsuit against a physical therapy clinic and its employees, alleging severe negligence that led to a significant and permanent injury. Nancy Erlick filed the complaint in the Circuit Court of the Fifteenth Judicial Circuit in Palm Beach County, Florida, on August 23, 2024, naming Gold Coast Physical Therapy Associates, LLC d/b/a Fyzical Therapy; Fyzical, LLC; Paul Young, DPT; and Son P. Louis, PTA as defendants.

According to the court documents, Erlick began her treatment at Gold Coast Physical Therapy Associates on October 18, 2021. She was referred by her primary care provider for physical therapy to improve her balance. At that time, she was diagnosed with lower extremity weakness and osteoporosis. Dr. Paul Young initially designed her treatment plan which included various therapeutic exercises. However, the execution of these exercises was managed by physical therapy assistants under Dr. Young’s supervision.

The complaint details how Erlick’s exercise regimen was progressively intensified without proper consideration of her condition or complaints of pain. On February 7, 2022, Dr. Young increased the weight on leg press exercises from 70 lbs to 85 lbs. This weight was further increased multiple times over several months by different staff members until it reached 145 lbs by July 27, 2022.