Negligence in Maryland care facilities can be painful

Many Maryland residents seek the full-time care for a loved one that a nursing facility can provide when care can no longer be provided at home. The decision is usually not made lightly, and the family often considers many facilities before deciding on a home that best meets their loved one’s needs. Some forget to check for complaints of negligence or abuse while interviewing potential care sites. Overlooking any claims that have been made against a nursing home facility or its employees or contractors can prove to be painful for the residents, costly for families or even deadly.

A Certified Nursing Assistant in another state has been charged with felony criminal neglect after failing to follow directions regarding care for a patient. The 32-year-old woman was in the process of giving a 400-pound patient a bath when the woman rolled over the bed rail and fell roughly 3 feet to the tile floor. The fall caused the patient to break both femurs and required surgery with plates and screws to keep the bones in place.

The nursing assistant was told by staff and the patient that the bath required two people. The assistant neglected to seek help and proceeded to wash the woman by herself. When questioned, the nursing assistant said she had bathed the patient by herself before. If she is found guilty of criminal neglect, the nursing assistant could spend five years in prison and owe $5,000 in fines.

An injury resulting from the negligence of another can be devastating for the victim and their family. Utilizing the skills of a Maryland attorney a family could seek legal recourse by filing a personal injury or medical malpractice claim, depending on the underlying circumstances. Compensation awarded from a successful claim could help to cover medical expenses and other financial losses recognized by applicable laws.

Source: news4jax.com, “Jacksonville nursing assistant charged after patient breaks both legs“, Jim Piggott & Garrett Pelican, Dec. 28, 2017