Maryland Nursing Home Lawyer Blog
Earlier this month, a two-alarm fire in a Towson assisted living facility threatened to evacuate a multi-story building. According to a report by a local news source, the fire occurred in an assisted living facility on Joppa Road shortly after 7:30 in the morning. Evidently, fire officials say that they found thick, black smoke on the fourth, fifth, and sixth floors. The fire apparently began in one of the units’ kitchen and was kept under control by the kitchen’s sprinkler system.
While no one was forced to evacuate the building, several residents chose to do so on their own, citing concerns over their own safety. After fire crews arrived and began to put the fire out, it was completely contained within 20 minutes. Thankfully, there were no injuries.
Fire Preparedness is Crucial in Assisted Living Facilities
The assisted living facility mentioned above was a high-rise with hundreds of people inside. Many of the people in the building had limited mobility due to a variety of health conditions. Therefore, the threat of a fire must be taken very seriously.
Fire escape plans are something that every nursing home and assisted living facility should keep on file and familiarize all employees with. In fact, failure to do so may result in resident injury or death in the event of a fire.
The Nursing Homes’ and Assisted Living Facilities’ Duty To Provide a Safe Environment
By all accounts thus far, it seems that the assisted living facility mentioned in the article did everything they should have to contain the fire, including installing a working sprinkler system in the kitchen. However, what remains unknown is what the facility’s plan of action would have been had the residents all needed to be evacuated. Since the assisted living facility is in a high-rise building, it would not be easy for all the residents to get out of the building, considering that they may not be able to use elevators in an emergency.
Nursing homes and assisted living facilities have a duty to provide a safe home for their residents. While the facilities are not expected to prevent every accident or mishap, they are expected to have certain safety procedures in place in the event of an emergency. Failure to do so may result in the unnecessary loss of life of one of the home’s residents.
Has Your Loved One Been Injured In a Nursing Home Fire?
If your loved one has recently been injured in a nursing home fire, they may be entitled to monetary compensation based on the home’s inadequate plan or negligence in preventing or starting the fire. The bottom line in nursing home negligence cases is whether the nursing home acted with the care and diligence that we expect they should use when providing a home for many people with limited mobility. Consider speaking to a Maryland nursing home negligence attorney about your loved one and see what they have to say. A consultation is free, so you have nothing to lose. Click here, or call 410-654-3600 to schedule your free initial consultation.
See More Blog Posts:
Nursing Home Pays Out $3.3 Million in Negligence Suit, Maryland Nursing Home Lawyer Blog, published June 3, 2014.
Seventeen Employees of Michigan Nursing Home Facing Charges for Patient Abuse, Maryland Nursing Home Lawyer Blog, published May 13, 2014.