Nursing homes that care for the elderly have an affirmative duty to provide for the basic needs of the residents for whom the home is charged with caring. This duty goes beyond a moral one, and it is actually legally imposed and enforceable by the courts. In fact, if a…
Maryland Nursing Home Lawyer Blog
One State Considers Banning Anonymous Abuse Complaints in Nursing Homes
Nursing home abuse is a tragic phenomenon, and everything should be done to curb it. Whether it be an overworked nurse who snaps at a difficult resident, or an angry employee who takes out their own aggression on those who cannot fight back, there is no excuse for engaging in…
Appellate Court Reverses Lower Court’s Dismissal of Plaintiff’s Elder Abuse Case, Allowing the Case to Move Forward
Earlier this month, an appellate court in California issued an opinion in a case brought by the family of a man who died while in the care of a hospital, holding that the lower court’s dismissal of the complaint was in error. In the case, Fenimore v. Regents of the…
Improperly Notarized Power of Attorney Results in Dismissal of Case against Allegedly Negligent Nursing Home
Earlier this month, the Arkansas Supreme Court issued an opinion dismissing what may have been a meritorious wrongful death case based on the fact that the document giving the plaintiff power of attorney was not validly executed. In the case, Quarles v. Courtyard Gardens Health & Rehab, the lower court…
Politicians Speak Out against Nursing Home Abuse Posted on Social Media
The thought of a nurse who is charged with the care of elderly individuals engaging in a pattern of abuse against his or her patients is bad enough, but lately there has been a rash of cases in which abusive nurses are filming the abuse and posting the videos on social…
Nursing Home Lawsuits Brought by Surviving Family Members
When a nursing home employee’s negligent, reckless, or intentional actions result in the death of a resident, the family of the deceased resident may want to seek justice on behalf of their loved one. This is done through a Maryland wrongful death lawsuit. Wrongful death lawsuits are similar to traditional…
When Nurses Are Criminally Charged for Abuse of a Nursing Home Resident
Abusing an elderly nursing home resident is a disgraceful act that is clearly in violation of a resident’s rights. Indeed, such conduct can result in both civil and criminal liability. In most cases of nursing home abuse, the criminal case will proceed to trial before the civil case. This can…
The Level of Culpability Required to Prove Nursing Home Negligence
When the phrase “nursing home negligence” is mentioned, it often conjures images of cruel, sadistic nurses intentionally failing to provide a nursing home resident the level of care necessary for them to live a peaceful life. However, the law does not require this kind of mindset in order to find…
Arbitration Clauses in Nursing Home Contracts: Are They Binding?
In an ideal world, a nursing home would care for elderly people and allow them to live out their last years in peace and with dignity. However, anyone who has kept an eye on the headlines knows that this is not always the case. In too many cases, nursing home…
New Trend in Nursing Home Abuse: Resident-On-Resident Abuse
Nursing home neglect and abuse have always been a concern to families who are considering placing a loved one in a nursing home. Until the recent past, most of these concerns were focused on the staff members who were charged with caring for nursing home residents. However, more recently, there…