People who reside in long-term care centers, such as skilled nursing facilities and nursing homes, are substantially more likely to contract infectious diseases such as the Coronavirus. A large percentage of these individuals are elderly with impaired immune systems, and many have one or more underlying health conditions. The majority of those employed at these institutions perform critical job functions that do not allow them to work from their home and may potentially carry the virus into a nursing facility and further the spread.
Many nursing homes struggle with understaffing, have insufficient training, shortages of personal protective equipment, and poorly-supervised orderly workers who earn meager wages. The people who reside in these facilities may experience neglect or abuse and become very ill. If you or a loved one has suffered harm resulting from negligence or carelessness, contact a Washington D.C. nursing home Coronavirus lawyer that may pursue monetary compensation through civil action.
Nursing homes assume a duty to care for those who require some assistance in daily living. Proving that a facility demonstrated negligence by breaching its duty is necessary to prevail in a civil claim. A causal relationship also must exist between the defendant’s failure and the injuries that occurred.
A nursing home worker may potentially demonstrate negligence by failing to adhere to various well-known requirements for preventing Coronavirus infection. Some examples include:
An experienced nursing home liability attorney may employ investigative strategies revealing that proper procedures were ignored or neglected.
Plaintiffs in the District of Columbia may seek recovery for many reasons. Losses deemed as economic may include compensation for medical bills, harm to property, or to account for lost wages. Non-economic damages may consist of reparations for physical pain, emotional trauma or anguish, and more.
In rare cases, a plaintiff may potentially receive punitive damages, which seek to punish the defendant and serve as a deterrent. These awards apply in cases where the actions demonstrated willful disregard or committed intentionally.
D.C. is one of several states that employ a contributory negligence doctrine, which is a potentially valid defense strategy. According to the provisions, if any degree of fault is attributed to the plaintiff, they may not recover damages. For example, if the plaintiff contributed one percent of the overall negligence that caused the injury, their claim could be barred.
Nursing facilities and other long-term care centers must comply with a host of agency regulations. When a resident becomes infected with a highly-contagious condition and suffers extreme illness, often it could have been prevented. A skilled attorney familiar with nursing home negligence cases may assist you in holding the facility responsible.
Proving an injury claim against a nursing home may require some investigative action and extensive knowledge of civil procedure. Speaking to a seasoned Washington D.C. nursing home coronavirus lawyer is strongly encouraged if seeking to possibly obtain substantial financial compensation.
