Inadequate Safety and Health Policies

A doctor, nurse, or other healthcare provider can be held liable for personal injuries or wrongful death caused by an act of negligence. New York law also provides a legal remedy for nursing home patients who have been the victims of injuries resulting from a deviation in the applicable standard of care owed to patients, including harm caused by a nursing home’s inadequate safety and health policies. The experienced Rockland County nursing home negligence attorneys of the Law Firm of Valerie J. Crown, Attorney at Law, P.C., are dedicated advocates for those who have been hurt by a nursing home’s malpractice. We are here to stand up for you or your loved one following an accident or injury caused by a deviation from the standard of care owed to a frail and elderly nursing facility patient.

Patient safety should be a primary concern for nursing home owners and employees, but unfortunately, this is not always so. As a result, far too many of the millions of patients residing in skilled nursing facilities, inpatient rehabilitation facilities, and long-term acute care centers across the nation suffer serious injury and even death each year. Nursing homes owe certain duties of care to their patients, including the duty to have adequate safety and health policies in place to protect patient welfare. When this duty is breached and a patient suffers damages as a proximate result, the nursing home owners can be held legally liable. However, it is up to the patient and his or her family to stand up to negligent nursing homes in a court of law, giving them notice that safety and health violations are not acceptable and that patients should be fairly and adequately compensated for injuries caused by a nursing home owner or employee’s neglect or abuse.

There are many state and federal laws that apply to those who own or work in nursing homes. Many of these rules and regulations are designed to reduce preventable adverse events in long-term care, including falls, pressure sores, and malnourishment. Failure to follow these rules can result in many negative consequences, including findings of liability against nursing home owners who neglect patients’ safety and health concerns. When a nursing home is found liable for medical malpractice or negligence, the patient may be entitled to monetary compensation for medical expenses, pain and suffering, and other losses. In extreme cases, punitive damages may also be a possibility.

If a patient passes away due to inadequate safety and health policies, negligence, or abuse, his or her family may be able to file a wrongful death claim on behalf of their loved one. Both personal injury and wrongful death lawsuits are subject to a statute of limitations, meaning that the plaintiff in such a case has a limited time in which to file a claim. If a claim is not filed within the statute of limitations, the court will dismiss the claim as untimely. Because of this, it is important to talk to a qualified nursing home safety and health attorney as soon as possible if you suspect that your loved one has suffered due to neglect or mistreatment in a New York nursing home.

A lawyer who regularly practices in the field of nursing home negligence and medical malpractice can help you gather evidence of inadequate health and safety policies or other negligence. It is important that such evidence be sought as soon as possible after an act of negligence has been committed so that the case is not jeopardized by potential spoliation of evidence. The nursing home abuse attorneys at the Law Firm of Valerie J. Crown, Attorney at Law, P.C., are here to offer legal advice to those in Rockland County and the Greater New York area, as well as Ulster, Orange, Westchester, and Dutchess Counties. To schedule a free consultation, please call us now at 845-708-5900, call Valerie 24/7 on her cell phone at 845-598-8253, or contact us online.