In addition to being more likely to suffer a wide variety of physical injuries compared to younger people, elderly individuals are more likely to contract illnesses and infections, resulting in life-threatening complications. Even something as simple as the common cold can be deadly to someone with a weakened immune system. Unfortunately, that’s just one of the many physical disadvantages nursing home residents may be dealing with on a daily basis.
Administrators and staff members aren’t expected to prevent anyone from ever getting sick or experiencing infections in Allentown nursing homes. Still, they have a legal duty to prevent these problems from occurring as much as possible. When your loved one suffers serious harm from an infection that the people caring for them should’ve done more to prevent, you should reach out to a nursing home abuse attorney sooner rather than later to discuss a possible legal claim. Call Ostroff Godshall Injury and Accident Lawyers to discuss your legal rights and options during a free case consultation.
Holding a Nursing Home Legally Responsible for an Infection
Nursing home residents can come down with various illnesses and infections, from common conditions like the flu to bedsores to sexually transmitted diseases. To file a lawsuit over an infection in an Allentown nursing home, you’ll need to prove that the infection likely wouldn’t have happened at all but for a specific reckless or careless act by one or more employees of the facility.
This can be a fairly straightforward process for something like a bedsore, which shouldn’t be allowed to develop under any circumstances. In fact, it can only happen if someone who can’t move on their own is left neglected for hours and hours on end. On the other hand, proving that a different type of infection came from a lack of proper sanitary practices can be a much more in-depth process that’ll likely require help from qualified medical experts. This is something our skilled attorneys can help with, among many other things.
What Losses Can You Seek Compensation For?
While money alone can’t erase the physical and mental harm that a serious infection inside an Allentown nursing home may cause, it can do a lot to reduce its negative impact by paying for your specific losses. This can include things like:
- Physical pain and suffering
- Emotional anguish and distress
- Loss of life’s pleasures
- All medical expenses for care made necessary by the infection
- Personal property damage/loss, if applicable
If an infection inside a nursing home has fatal repercussions, the surviving spouse or children of the deceased resident may have grounds to demand money for their losses through what’s known as a “wrongful death” claim. This could mean seeking payments for things like lost love and companionship, lost future value of inheritance, and personal emotional anguish.
An Allentown Attorney Can Help Sue Over a Nursing Home Infection
Elderly people are at especially high risk of experiencing life-threatening harm from even minor infections. Because of that, nursing homes have a “duty of care” to make sure living conditions in their facilities are safe and sanitary at all times. Any facility that fails to fulfill that duty may be legally responsible for any harm a resident suffers as a result.
You have legal options when dealing with infections in Allentown nursing homes, which our respected legal professionals can help you make the most of. Learn more by calling Ostroff Godshall Injury and Accident Lawyers today.
