As nursing home neglect lawyers, we often see cases where the care of the resident is being compromised through understaffing, lack of training, or abusive treatment. These events of neglect can happen at any point throughout the resident’s stay. Sometimes, these events happen outside of the facility. Many nursing homes and long-term care facilities have transportation vans that take residents to appointments or pick up patients that do not live at the facility all of the time. This can be a very dangerous situation for many of the elderly or disabled residents if the driver and facility staff do not take the proper precautions.
Elderly Woman Dies at Scene of Van Accident
85-year old Heartland Health Care Center – Kalamazoo resident, Dollie McGrew died this month when the facility van that was transporting her to a dental appointment at the University of Michigan hit the curb. McGrew was pronounced dead at the scene while the driver of the van was not injured. The details of the incident have not been released, but the driver of the van did have a valid driver’s license and the facility did report the death to the state.
It is a shame that such a small accident such as a mid sized van hitting the curb can have such fatal consequences. The nursing home is obligated to provide safe transportation when they are taking residents to or from the facility. Disabled patients are especially at risk because they often rely entirely on the assistance of the staff and cannot protect themselves if an accident were to occur that would throw them from their wheelchair. Taking care of residents does not start and stop inside the walls of a facility. Having safe and up to date equipment in the transportation vans is just as important as having them in the patients’ rooms.
Nursing Home Neglect Lawyers in New Jersey and Philadelphia
If your loved one has been seriously injured as a result of a nursing home accident, or you fear that the care they are receiving may be considered negligent or abusive, you probably have a lot of questions and concerns. Contact the Mininno Law Office for a free case evaluation. You may also call for a free consultation at (856) 833-0600 in New Jersey, or (215) 567-2380 in Philadelphia.