There are 1.6 million people currently residing in nursing homes throughout the U.S, with nearly another million residents in assisted-living facilities. Elderly and other long-term care patients are a segment of the population that is rapidly growing, and this group is one of the most vulnerable in our society.
In California alone, there are roughly 400,000 residents cared for in long term care facilities, with a large portion of these folks being cared for in Los Angeles and the surrounding cities. Families must make a difficult decision when deciding whether or not to put a loved one in a home, and it takes time and care to find the right facility. There is an expectation that the home will be safe and caring and supportive, which is why an unexpected (or wrongful) death in a nursing home can be shocking and upsetting. Attorneys that work with families who have lost a loved one to wrongful death in a nursing home deal with a wide variety of specific reasons, yet a common theme that nursing home wrongful death lawyers in Los Angeles find, is that the home was negligent in providing care that would have otherwise not led to death of the resident.
When a resident of a Los Angeles nursing home (often elderly resident) dies due to the negligence or neglect of the home’s administrators, employees, or caregivers, it may be considered a wrongful death. These tragedies are often preventable and unnecessary, claiming the lives of elderly family members who may have otherwise lived on for many years. Death of a family member is difficult enough as it is, and the potential that the death was due to negligence of the nursing home is grounds for legal action; this is where a wrongful death lawyer can help.
Elderly nursing home residents in Los Angeles and their immediate families rely on nursing homes and their staff to provide high-quality, life-preserving care. And while some residents may die of natural causes in a nursing home, the expectation is never that the nursing home could be directly responsible for the death. Yet Los Angeles nursing home wrongful death attorneys find that this is unfortunately sometimes the case.
Wrongful deaths in a nursing home can occur for a number of reasons, negligence on behalf of the homes staff members is generally a leading factor. Wrongful deaths may occur if staff members:
Nursing home wrongful deaths are especially devastating. The loss of a parent, spouse, or grandparent is hard enough as is, and when the death is a result of nursing home neglect or abuse it is hard not to think of the “what ifs”. This is why families affected by nursing home wrongful death often have the power to speak with an attorney about filing a lawsuit against the facility. Lawsuits regarding wrongful death in a nursing home can do a number of things:
Though it is typically family members or relatives of the deceased that can actually sue for wrongful death, there are instances where other people may file a lawsuit. The breakdown of this is as follows:
Have you suspected that a loved one has been the victim of a nursing home wrongful death in the Los Angeles area? If so, call the office or contact us today at the Southern California Nursing Home Law Group to schedule a free case evaluation with one of our experienced Los Angeles wrongful death attorneys now.