Your loved one may not have had a long time left to live. She may have had a medical condition that required her to live in a nursing home. However, she did not need to die because of the abusive or negligent actions of those who were supposed to take care of her, and those who caused her death should be held accountable for their actions.
You May Have the Right to File a Wrongful Death Lawsuit
If your loved one died because of the negligent or intentional actions of the nursing home staff then you may be able to file a wrongful death lawsuit. Some examples of negligence that may result in death include:
- Medication errors.
- Elopement.
- Falls.
- Malnutrition and dehydration.
- Failure to maintain a clean and safe environment.
- Failure to comply with nursing home regulations.
If your loved one died because of any form of nursing home neglect then you may have the right to pursue a wrongful death lawsuit. As with any wrongful death case, you will need to take action quickly—before the statute of limitations expires and before valuable evidence that could help you prove your case is compromised.
You Still Have the Right to Recover Damages
Your recovery will be based in part of your loved one’s life expectancy had her life not been ended by the negligent or intentional actions of the nursing home staff. Your loved one was not earning an income and was unlikely to earn an income again. Yet you may still recover significant damages for things including, but not limited to…
- Medical expenses from the time of the incident until the time of your loved one’s death.
- Out-of-pocket costs incurred by you or your family.
- Pain and suffering that your loved one endured from the time of the incident until her death.
- Loss of society and companionship that you or the decedent’s spouse or children (or parents or minor siblings, if they are alive) are suffering.
To learn more about how to protect your rights and potential damages after this type of wrongful death incident, please start a live chat with us now. We would be pleased to schedule a free consultation with you.