30+ Years Experience & Millions Recovered Home Practice Areas Nursing Home Attorneys Cases Blog Contact Locations COVID-19 In Nursing Homes And The Duty To Protect Residents From The Virus The outbreak of the Coronavirus known as COVID19 has spread fear throughout the entire country, though perhaps no community has been more affected than those who reside in nursing homes or assisted-living facilities. Just in the state of Pennsylvania, more than half of the deaths due to COVID19 have occurred in these kinds of facilities. Some may believe that this unexpected pandemic is not something that nursing homes could have prepared for, but our nursing home abuse attorneys confidently disagree. Nursing Home Abuse Lawyers Pursue COVID19 Claims When a family entrusts the care of their loved one to a facility, they expect the utmost care and attention to be employed. Moreover, the nursing home must also maintain a safe environment for the residents to not only live but thrive in. If you believe a nursing home failed to take the proper measures to avoid a loved one from becoming infected with COVID19, you may be able to pursue justice and your deserved compensation via a legal claim. Reach out to our team of experienced nursing home negligence lawyers for a free legal consultation. Our team can answer any questions you may have, and after a no-cost case evaluation, we’ll be able to explain all of the legal options at your disposal. 610.892.9200 24/7 CONFIDENTIAL CONSULTATIONS 1 STEP 1 2 STEP 2 3 STEP 3 Do You Have A Case? Step 1: Details Name your full name Email a valid email email Phone your phone call keyboard_arrow_leftPREVIOUS NEXTkeyboard_arrow_right Contact Our Law Office Today (610) 892-9200 How COVID19 Spreads In Nursing Homes If a loved one currently resides in a nursing home, it’s important to understand why they may be at risk or may have already been exposed to the Coronavirus. Nursing homes are composed of a community of residents as well as the staff who care for them. These groups of individuals are constantly sharing spaces, whether it’s a dining room, activity area, or bathroom. The transmission of any kind of virus or bacteria is therefore quite likely, given the high density of persons within a confined setting. And yet, viruses and bacteria did not come into being in the year 2020. The same characteristics which permit COVID19 to spread would allow other pathogens to be passed from one resident to the other. This is to say, nursing homes should already be familiar with the potential for viruses and bacteria to spread quickly within their facilities, and should know how to protect the health and safety of their residents when a higher risk of infection is present. Indeed, there exists a duty of care from the facility, including all managers and staff, to the residents and potentially even visiting guests. Why Is COVID19 So Deadly To Nursing Home Residents? Part of the reason why many families decide to place a loved one in a nursing home is because they require constant medical supervision due to chronic health conditions. A deteriorated state of health or other decreases in function of the immune system means that a person is not only more likely to contract a virus or bacterial infection, but their body is less likely to be able to fight it off. Without a robust immune system, many individuals can perish. However, advancements in medicine have made it possible for immuno-compromised persons to avoid infections, fight off viruses, and live healthy lives. Professional care is required for this to be possible, and it is this same care that many facilities are expected to provide. When this duty of care is violated and a resident becomes ill or dies due to the lack of care, then the affected persons can pursue legal proceedings against the facility and be awarded damages. How Can Nursing Homes Combat COVID19? As we mentioned earlier, viruses are not new, and, as a result, nursing home facilities should already know how to deal with them. In fact, most of them already do. These infection-control procedures generally include increased sanitation of all areas, not only once or twice but multiple times a day. Additional care may be taken while preparing meals, and staff as well as residents may be tested on a regular basis. Any visits may be prohibited to avoid bringing in outside pathogens, and the residents may even be completely isolated from one another until the outbreak is under control. All of these measures could have proved useful against COVID19 and ultimately saved the lives of those who trusted their health to nursing homes. Unfortunately, due to reasons which include poor or nonexistent training and under-staffing, the proper attention is not provided to those who needed it most. When this kind of negligence has taken the health or the life of your loved one, it’s possible to seek justice. But just what kind of damages can be recouped by going down the legal path? COVID in Nursing Homes – Another Case of Negligence Ultimately, when you move forward with a lawsuit against a nursing home, you are likely doing so on the legal foundation of negligence. Negligence is a legal term that explains a situation in which one individual owed a duty of care to another and, by not providing it, caused them damages. These damages can range from medical expenses to loss of enjoyment of life and companionship as well as emotional and physical pain. The specific amount of compensation to be awarded in a nursing home negligence lawsuit can vary widely from case to case, just as the individuals involved in them are completely different. What doesn’t vary is the unwavering commitment that our experienced legal team has to victims of nursing home abuse and negligence. They’ve dedicated their professional careers to this field of law, and they want to help you. This is why they’ve made themselves available to all via free, no-obligation consultations. COVID19 Symptoms To Look Out For Per the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), the symptoms experienced by a person who has contracted the COVID19 virus can be quite varied. They may appear within two to fourteen days from the time of exposure and can include: Fever & fever-induced chills Shortness of breath and/or chronic cough Physical fatigue, including muscle aches Headaches Loss of sense of taste and/or smell Sore throat Congestion of the sinuses Mucous discharge in sinuses (“runny nose”) Diarrhea Nausea Vomiting Do You Have A Case? If you suspect that a loved was exposed to COVID19 at a nursing home, you may have grounds for a claim. Contact our legal team now to find out more about your options. The state of Pennsylvania affords some powerful legal avenues for victims of negligence and injury, and they can help you achieve justice. You can fight back and you don’t have to go at it alone. With the help of our experienced attorneys, you can stand up for the rights of your loved ones, hold responsible those who were negligent, and win your case. 1 STEP 1 2 STEP 2 STEP 3 Free Case Evaluation Step 1: Details Name your full name Email a valid email email Phone your phone call keyboard_arrow_leftPREVIOUS NEXTkeyboard_arrow_right HomePractice AreasLearn More About Our Experienced AttorneysBlogContactLocations Office Locations Media | Chester | Philadelphia © 2019 Schuster Law. All rights reserved. Disclaimer | Sitemap