Woman Sues Woodbridge, New Jersey Residential Facility In Disabled Sister's Death

WOODBRIDGE, N.J. (CBSNewYork) -- A lawsuit has been filed in New Jersey, demanding accountability in the death of a mentally disabled senior citizen.

Maureen Doran, 68, was a longtime resident of the Woodbridge Developmental Center in Woodbridge. Her sister, Kathy DeCicco, has filed a lawsuit claiming gross negligence and abuse.

DeCiccio claimed care at the facility quickly went downhill because the developmental center was in the process of closing.

She said her sister wound up in the hospital several times and eventually died from an infection she developed from being fed while lying down.

"It's really about accountability, because nobody's ever been held accountable for my sister choking to death, or being beaten -- that nobody was watched," DeCicco told CBS2. "What about all the other residents? What about the ones that are wards of the state? That they don't have guardians like me to stick up for them."

The state said it has not yet received the paperwork for the lawsuit.