Have You or a Loved One Contracted Coronavirus in a Texas Nursing Home?

Nursing home facilities have been the epicenter of the COVID-19 pandemic in America—and because testing is still limited nationwide, we do not know the true scope of the tragedy. The latest data reveals that a staggering 42% of all COVID-19 deaths in America have occurred among nursing home residents and employees. Other estimates suggest this figure may be as high as 50%. Nursing homes have a legal duty to keep their residents and staff safe and healthy. Consequently, anyone who contracted coronavirus in a Texas nursing home should know that they may have grounds for a coronavirus nursing home lawsuit. Have you or a loved one contracted coronavirus in a Texas nursing home? If so, our Texas injury lawyers at Carabin Shaw are here to help. Read on to learn more.

COVID-19 affects all age groups, but the most at-risk populations are the elderly and people with pre-existing health conditions—two groups that perfectly describe the demographics of most nursing home facilities. But these are not the only reasons that nursing homes have experienced severe outbreaks of COVID-19. On top of being home to some of the most vulnerable members of American society, nursing homes are at risk for outbreaks for a number of additional reasons:

• Residents are often housed two or three to a room in nursing home facilities, making social distancing difficult or impossible
• Because of low wages, many nursing home caregivers work at multiple assisted living facilities, making it easy for the virus to spread from one nursing home to the next
• Even before the pandemic, many nursing homes were poorly managed and/or understaffed, and therefore not operating at the highest level of safety and cleanliness
• Nursing home residents are in frequent physical contact with their caregivers
• Nursing home residents are frequently transferred between hospitals and other settings

Because of this, the novel coronavirus has been exceptionally deadly to nursing home residents. And sadly, many of these deaths could have been prevented.

Nursing homes have a legal duty of care to protect their residents from contagious diseases and to prevent outbreaks from occurring. Failure to protect residents means that these facilities may be legally liable for negligence.

Nursing homes experiencing coronavirus outbreaks may be legally liable if:

• They were late to implement infection control protocol measures to prevent an outbreak
• They did not provide personal protective equipment (including masks) to all staff members
• They did not quarantine / isolate patients who showed symptoms of coronavirus
• They failed to strictly limit visitation
• They failed to limit movement of patients
• They did not provide regular COVID-19 screenings (such as temperature checks) for all residents

If you or a loved one contracted coronavirus while in a nursing home, it’s crucial to contact a qualified personal injury attorney as soon as possible. Nursing homes across the country are attempting to wrongfully seek legal immunity for their negligence, so time is of the essence. The right attorney can evaluate the circumstances of your illness and determine whether the nursing home facility acted negligently.

Have you or a loved one contracted coronavirus in a Texas nursing home? Our expert Texas injury lawyers at Carabin Shaw offer all new clients a no cost, no obligation consultation—so you have nothing to lose by giving us a call today. We can help you determine whether you may have grounds for a coronavirus nursing home lawsuit and can inform you of your legal options.

To speak with a lawyer, call our experts serving Texas at 210-222-2288. Don’t wait—give us a call and learn how our team can help you get the justice and compensation you deserve for your suffering.