The COVID-19 coronavirus is spreading across the United States and Florida. As of the beginning of June 2020, over 2,700 people in Florida have died from the disease. More than 1,300 people at long-term care facilities, which includes elderly residents of nursing homes and other senior care facilities, have died.
So far, there is no cure for nor vaccine that provides immunity from this deadly disease.
If you have a loved one living in a nursing home, you’re probably concerned about the quality of care they’re receiving during this health crisis. Is management and staff doing enough to protect them from the danger of COVID-19?
Florida Nursing Homes Must Protect Their Residents From Coronavirus
Nursing homes have a legal responsibility to keep their residents safe from infectious diseases like COVID-19. This includes taking the necessary precautions to prevent coronavirus from entering and spreading throughout the facility, such as:
- Testing residents for COVID-19;
- Maintaining social distancing among residents;
- Restricting access by non-residents;
- Isolating residents who have tested positive for the coronavirus or exhibit symptoms;
- Wearing gloves and masks at all times;
- Maintaining adequate staff, medical, and cleaning supplies; and
- Cleaning floors, walls, ceilings, counters, furniture and table tops using cleaning sprays, disinfectants and wipes as often as needed.
When nursing homes fail to take these steps, they put their residents at risk. While there is no cure, protecting residents from being infected by COVID-19 is no more difficult than protecting them from the flu. Nursing homes are supposed to be prepared for events such as these.
Unfortunately, there are reports of nursing homes all around the state facing shortages of masks, disinfectants and other supplies critical to preventing a contagious disease from spreading throughout their facility.
If an elderly resident of a nursing home dies from a COVID-19 infection, the nursing home, its staff and owners may be liable if it can be proved that they were negligent in providing adequate protections against the virus.
Damages Caused by Fort Lauderdale COVID-19 Deaths in Nursing Homes
If a nursing home resident dies as a result of COVID-19/coronavirus, their surviving family members may be able to recover medical and funeral expenses through filing a wrongful death lawsuit.
In Broward County and throughout Florida, nursing home wrongful death lawsuits are a challenge to pursue. In order to be successful, the plaintiff must be able to prove that:
- The victim was a resident of the nursing home at the time the negligence took place;
- Nursing home staff and/or administration were negligent in the care they provided to them;
- The nursing home’s negligence led to the them contracting coronavirus; and
- The resident and/or their family suffered damages as a result of the nursing home’s negligence.
Representation by an attorney with extensive experience in nursing home wrongful death litigation will greatly improve your chances of obtaining the compensation you deserve for you and your family’s losses.
Attorney for Broward County Nursing Home COVID-19 Wrongful Death Lawsuit
If a loved one has died after becoming infected with COVID-19 due to the negligence of a nursing home and its staff, it’s important to understand your rights to pursue justice on their behalf.
Lisa Levine is a nationally recognized Fort Lauderdale nursing home abuse and neglect attorney who has been protecting the rights of elderly residents of Weston, Pembroke Pines, Hollywood FL, Sunrise, Pompano Beach and other Broward County area communities since 1986.
Contact the law offices of Lisa Levine to schedule a free initial consultation to discuss your coronavirus/COVID-19 nursing home wrongful death case. Lisa represents her clients on a contingency basis, which means there are no up-front fees for her legal services and you don’t pay her fees until after Lisa’s secured your settlement.
