Maryland Nursing Home Lawyer Blog
When a Maryland nursing home accepts a resident into its care, the home takes on a responsibility to provide a certain level of care to the resident. Of course, this includes ensuring that the resident’s most basic physical and health-care needs are met, but it also requires that the home maintain the facility in a safe and clean manner. When nursing home management fails to live up to this standard, the home may be held liable through a Maryland nursing home negligence lawsuit.
Many nursing homes accept financial assistance from the federal government, through programs such as Medicare and Medicaid. By doing so, the nursing home also takes on an obligation to provide the type of care to residents that the government expects. A recent news article discusses a federal lawsuit that was recently settled after disturbing discoveries were made regarding the condition of the facilities.
The allegations arose from inspections that occurred back in 2008 and 2009. Inspectors noted that the home was infested with rats, mice, and cockroaches. One resident’s account was truly shocking. Evidently, the bedridden resident was complaining of leg pain to nursing home staff. When the staff member pulled back the blankets covering the resident’s lower body, a snake jumped out at her.
There were also reports that the showers were moldy and had no curtains. Nursing home staff were reported to have multiple women change in the bathroom at the same time against their will. Residents also complained that they did not receive enough to eat.
Following the investigation, the federal government filed fraud charges against the owners of the nursing home, claiming that the couple bilked federally funded programs for millions of dollars while providing “effectively worthless services.” In recent news, the couple agreed to a settlement with the government in which they will pay back $1.25 million over four years.
The couple who owned the nursing home own several other nursing homes across the country, and they have been involved in multiple negligence and wrongful death lawsuits over the years. Indeed, earlier this year, the couple settled a wrongful death case for approximately $1.2 million. In years prior, there have been verdicts against the couple for upwards of $2 million.
Is Your Loved One at Risk?
If you have a loved one in a Maryland nursing home, and you believe that they may be at risk of abuse or neglect, you should take immediate action to protect your loved one. Once they are safe, consider discussing their situation with a dedicated Maryland personal injury attorney at the law firm of Lebowitz & Mzhen Personal Injury Lawyers. At Lebowitz & Mzhen, we handle all types of personal injury cases against nursing homes, including nursing home neglect and wrongful death cases. Call 410-654-3600 to schedule your free consultation with an attorney today. Calling is risk-free because the consultation is free, and there is no obligation to continue forward with your case unless it is your desire to do so.
More Blog Posts:
Maryland Is One of the Few States that Allow Video Cameras in Nursing Homes, Maryland Nursing Home Lawyer Blog, published November 28, 2017.
Family Sues Nursing Home for Inadequate Care After Woman’s Death, Maryland Nursing Home Lawyer Blog, published November 14, 2017.