Maryland Nursing Home Lawyer Blog
Nursing homes are not necessarily known for their focus on patient safety. To the contrary, some Maryland nursing homes have lengthy records of fines and other citations for failing to comply with state requirements or, worse yet, instances of patient abuse or neglect. One may expect that it would be an easy task to find the allegations made against a nursing home prior to making the decision to place a loved on in their care; however, this is not necessarily the case.
Nursing homes take every effort to conceal allegations, especially those involving substantiated claims of neglect or abuse. One way nursing homes are able to do this is through settling such claims out of court with the stipulation that the other party will not discuss the terms of the negotiations or make the allegations public. However, nursing homes are not able to legally keep these records from state and federal agencies.
According to a news report, one North Carolina company that operates several nursing homes in the state was fined more than $567,000 over the past three years after hidden cameras revealed that staff members were abusing residents. The company owns 16 nursing homes, six of which were fined. The largest of the fines was over $234,000.
The family of one resident installed cameras after suspecting that their loved one was not being properly cared for. Upon viewing the footage, they discovered that their loved one was left to lay on the floor for an hour after falling from his bed.
Another report made by a visiting doctor detailed her account of discovering a patient that had been infested with maggots. The doctor was later told that the aide who originally discovered the maggots ran from the room screaming but failed to take any action or report what she discovered.
Maryland Nursing Home Lawsuits
When a Maryland nursing home fails to provide the most basic level of care it is required to provide to residents, the home can be held liable for any injuries that result. While in some cases it can be difficult to determine whether a nursing home violated a duty it owed to a resident, in instance of nursing home abuse and neglect that is rarely an issue.
That being said, this does not mean that these cases are necessarily easy to win. In many cases, a nursing home will question the credibility of witnesses and may challenge the plaintiff’s assertion that the nursing home’s conduct was the cause of the resident’s injuries. Anyone considering filing a Maryland nursing home abuse or neglect lawsuit should consult with a dedicated Maryland personal injury attorney for assistance.
Is Your Loved One at Risk?
If you have a loved one in a Maryland nursing home, and you believe that they may have been the victim of nursing home abuse or neglect, you should consult with the dedicated Maryland personal injury lawyers at the law firm of Lebowitz & Mzhen Personal Injury Lawyers. At Lebowitz & Mzhen, we handle all types of cases against Maryland nursing homes, and are experienced in dealing with the issues that often arise in these cases, including disputing the validity of arbitration agreements. To learn more, call 410-654-3600 to schedule a free consultation with an attorney today.
More Blog Posts:
State’s Push for Stricter Reporting Requirements in Cases of Nursing Home Sexual Abuse, Maryland Nursing Home Lawyer Blog, published June 21, 2018.
State Attorneys General Call Nursing Home Reforms into Question and Call for a Reevaluation, Maryland Nursing Home Lawyer Blog, published June 7, 2018.