Maryland Nursing Home Lawyer Blog

Filing Requirements in Maryland Nursing Home Abuse and Neglect Cases

July 7, 2017 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

Tens of thousands of cases are filed in Maryland courts each year. To help the court system handle the large number of cases, procedural rules have been implemented to streamline the process and to ensure that only diligent plaintiffs with legally sound cases are permitted to have their cases heard by a judge or jury.

One of the major procedural rules that courts require plaintiffs to follow is that a case must be filed within a certain amount of time, as outlined in the jurisdiction’s statute of limitations. If a plaintiff fails to file a case before the applicable statute of limitations expires, the court will be left with little choice but to dismiss the case, leaving the plaintiff with no avenue of recovery.

Over the past decade, states have begun to enact stricter requirements for many personal injury cases, especially medical malpractice cases and nursing home abuse and neglect cases. Indeed, according to a recent news article, West Virginia lawmakers have recently drafted and passed a bill that makes filing lawsuits against nursing homes much more difficult. Under the new law, the state’s statute of limitations was reduced from two years to one year. In addition, cases against nursing home facilities can only be filed in the county in which the nursing home is physically located.

The Presence of Hidden Cameras in Nursing Homes Is Resulting in Increased Transparency

June 28, 2017 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

Over the past several decades, the numbers of residents at nursing homes across the country have increased. Coinciding with this increase in population has been a frightening increase in the instances of nursing home abuse and neglect. Indeed, by some estimates, one in 10 nursing home residents will suffer some kind of abuse during their stay.

More recently, there has been a push for the placement of hidden cameras by advocates for the elderly as well as by the families of those who have been affected by nursing home abuse or neglect. Indeed, several states have encouraged residents to place hidden cameras in their rooms. That being said, other states have not yet ruled on whether hidden cameras are permissible, given the fact that the camera must be placed on nursing home property and may require the nursing home’s permission.

While documenting abuse or neglect cannot prevent it from occurring, it can certainly make holding the culpable parties responsible for their actions easier in both civil and criminal courts. According to a recent news report, hidden cameras in a New Jersey nursing home have resulted in charges being filed against at least one former nursing home employee for the abuse of a resident.

The Importance of Pre-Trial Discovery in Maryland Nursing Home Abuse and Neglect Cases

June 21, 2017 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

Over the past few months, there have been a number of nursing home abuse and neglect cases involving nursing home employees or management attempting to cover up the allegations made against them. Unfortunately, in some cases, this has turned out to be a successful tactic to evade liability, albeit through illegal and immoral means.

As a general rule, parties must preserve all of the evidence, including physical documents, emails, and even text messages, that may be relevant to a case as soon as that party has notice that a case was filed. This is because the opposing party is entitled to review all of the relevant documents through the process of pre-trial discovery.

Pre-Trial Discovery in Nursing Home Cases

In nursing home abuse and neglect cases in particular, pre-trial discovery is an integral process for the plaintiff. This is because there is likely little way for the plaintiff to have any knowledge of what goes on inside the walls of the nursing home, especially when the plaintiff’s loved one suffers from dementia or some other illness that affects their memory or ability to communicate.

Court Finds Medical Malpractice Affidavit Is Defective in Bed Sore Case

June 14, 2017 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

Last month, an appellate court in Georgia issued a written opinion in a case brought against a hospital involving allegations that the hospital was negligent in allowing the plaintiff to develop a stage IV bed sore. Ultimately, however, the court rejected the plaintiff’s case because the required expert affidavit that was filed along with the case failed to comply with state-law requirements.

The Facts of the Case

The plaintiff was admitted to the defendant hospital while he was unconscious. While he was being treated by the hospital, he developed a stage IV pressure ulcer near the base of his back. The plaintiff filed a personal injury lawsuit against the hospital, claiming that the hospital staff was negligent in failing to assess and treat the pressure ulcer and to properly care for him while he was unconscious.

As is the case in Maryland, under Georgia state law, medical malpractice plaintiffs must submit an affidavit in support of their claim. Essentially, the affidavit must come from a medical profession in a relevant field, and it must “set forth specifically at least one negligent act or omission claimed to exist and the factual basis for each such claim.”

Appellate Court Upholds Nursing Home Arbitration Clause Despite Flaws in the Contractual Language

June 7, 2017 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

Earlier this month, an appellate court in Florida issued an interesting opinion in a case involving allegations that a nursing home was negligent in the care of a resident. The case presented the court with the opportunity to discuss an arbitration clause contained in a contract that also contained a legally invalid clause regarding a related issue. Ultimately, the court concluded that the invalid clause could properly be severed from the rest of the contract. Thus, the arbitration agreement was found to be valid.

The Facts of the Case

The plaintiff was the loved one of a woman who was injured while in the care of the defendant nursing home. Prior to the resident’s admission, she signed a pre-admission contract containing a clause agreeing to submit any claims that arose between herself and the nursing home to binding arbitration. There was also a clause stating that each party would be responsible for their own attorney’s fees, regardless of the claim’s outcome. Finally, the contract contained a “severability” clause.

Notwithstanding the arbitration agreement, the plaintiff filed a personal injury lawsuit against the nursing home. In a pre-trial motion for summary judgment, the nursing home sought the dismissal of the case, based on the signed arbitration agreement. The court determined that the attorney’s fees provision violated public policy, rendering the contract (and the arbitration clause contained therein) invalid. The nursing home appealed.

U.S. Supreme Court Weighs in on Nursing Home Arbitration Clause Issue

May 26, 2017 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

Earlier this month, the United States Supreme Court issued a written opinion in a case brought by the surviving family members of two nursing home residents who died while in the care of the defendant nursing home. The case required the court to determine whether a state law was valid if it permitted a loved one of a nursing home resident to enter into binding arbitration only when they possess a power of attorney document that specifically mentions “access to the courts” as a conferred right. Ultimately, the court determined that the state law violated the Federal Arbitration Act.

The Facts of the Case

The plaintiffs were the surviving family members of two loved ones who lived in the defendant nursing home prior to their deaths. Prior to the residents’ admission to the facility, the plaintiffs completed the necessary pre-admission paperwork for each of the residents. One clause in the document stated that “[a]ny and all claims or controversies arising out of or in any way relating to . . . the Resident’s stay at the Facility” would be resolved through binding arbitration. At the time the paperwork was completed, the plaintiffs had valid documents indicating that they possessed powers of attorney for their loved ones that permitted they “dispose of all matters” related to their loved ones.

In the next year, both residents died while in the care of the nursing home. The nursing home asked the court to dismiss the case and require the plaintiffs to submit their cases through the arbitration process, as indicated in the pre-admission contracts. The state court rejected the nursing home’s argument, finding that a person’s access to the court system is a “sacred” right, and it can only be waived by an explicit statement in the power of attorney document.

Negligent Hiring Claims Against Nursing Homes in Maryland

May 19, 2017 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

A claim of negligent hiring is based on the idea that an employer has a duty to protect others from a risk of harm posed by employees of which the employer knows or should know. If an employer fails to exercise reasonable care to ensure that other employees and customers are not at risk of harm from its employees, the employer may be liable for negligent hiring. For example, an employer might be liable for hiring an employee with a violent criminal record and providing the employee with a firearm. Liability may also be appropriate when an employer fails to check an employee’s past employer references, which would have revealed that an employee was unfit for the position.

In Maryland, a negligent hiring claim requires the plaintiff to show:

The employer owed a duty to the injured person to use reasonable care in selecting its employees;
The employer’s conduct in hiring or retaining the employee was not reasonably prudent under the circumstances;
The employer’s failure to exercise reasonable care caused injuries to the plaintiff; and
The plaintiff suffered damages.

The Use of Hidden Cameras in Maryland Nursing Homes

May 12, 2017 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

Nursing homes do not enjoy a good reputation when it comes to patient care, and for good reason. Over the past few years, it seems that there has not been a week that goes by without an incident of nursing home abuse or neglect. With the increase in reports of nursing home abuse and neglect over the past several decades, as well as the corresponding advancement of technology, the question of whether hidden cameras in nursing home facilities should be allowed has recently garnered a significant amount of attention.

Cameras in nursing homes are a good way to monitor the level of care that a nursing home provides to its residents. However, not surprisingly, when a family places a hidden camera in a nursing home, certain legal issues may arise. Importantly, there is no federal legislation giving families or residents the right to install hidden cameras in a nursing home facility. However, some states, such as Oklahoma, Texas, and New Mexico, have passed state legislation giving families the right to place cameras in at least some circumstances.

In most cases, a nursing home will include a clause in the pre-admission contract restricting the resident’s right to use video or audio surveillance. And in most cases, since the resident’s room is technically the property of the nursing home facility, these clauses are upheld. However, if the family of a nursing home resident suspects that their loved one is a victim of abuse or neglect, legal action may be taken through a Maryland nursing home neglect or abuse lawsuit.

Sexual Abuse Among Nursing Home Residents Becoming an Increasingly Common Problem

May 5, 2017 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

Over the past decade, instances of resident-on-resident abuse in nursing homes have greatly increased. One of the most common forms of unwelcome resident-on-resident contact is sexual abuse. When a resident suffers sexual abuse while at a nursing home facility, various legal issues may arise.

Determining Who Is Responsible in Cases of Resident-on-Resident Sexual Abuse

There are two very important issues that must be determined early in a personal injury lawsuit alleging resident-on-resident sexual abuse. The first is whether the abuse was permitted to occur based on a lack of supervision at the nursing home. If so, the nursing home may be responsible under the legal theory of negligence. Generally speaking, nursing homes have a duty to care for and protect residents from certain harms, sexual abuse included. When a nursing home fails to provide a resident with adequate protection, the nursing home may be liable as a result.

The second important issue that must be resolved is whether a valid arbitration agreement has been signed by the resident or a member of the resident’s family. In many cases, nursing homes will claim that any case arising out of the care they provided to a resident must be settled through arbitration. Most often, arbitration clauses – which waive a party’s right to use the court system and require the case to be submitted to an arbitration panel – are in the nursing home pre-admission contract.

Resident-on-Resident Abuse in Maryland Nursing Homes

April 28, 2017 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

When most people hear the term “nursing home abuse,” images of a callous, bitter nursing home employee come to mind. However, over the past several years, a new kind of nursing home abuse has been on the rise: resident-on-resident abuse.

Most nursing homes care for a large number of patients, each with different medical needs. While some residents suffer from dementia or severe physical limitations and require constant supervision and care, other residents are in better health and are able to maintain some level of independence. This creates a situation in which one resident may bully, harm, or take advantage of another resident. Indeed, recent studies show that 90% of those who commit nursing home abuse are known to the resident.

A Nursing Home’s Duty to Protect Residents

When a nursing home takes in a patient, the home assumes a duty to that resident as well as the resident’s loved ones. Of course, the nursing home is responsible to provide a certain level of care to the resident. However, a nursing home’s duty to its patients does not end there. Nursing homes must also act to affirmatively protect residents in certain situations.