We have seen an increasing number of recent client calls questioning the quality of the care that a family member or friend is receiving in a nursing home. Over 1.5 million Americans are in nursing homes with 30,000 of them in Maryland. That number is rising fast as America continues to age. Baltimore County alone has 49 nursing homes and 299 assisted-living facilities.
How Much Are Baltimore Nursing Home Cases Worth?
According to Jury Verdict Research, 60 percent of personal injury trials involving nursing home abuse or neglect result in plaintiff verdicts. The median verdict is $192,977. The median verdict alleging malpractice in the treatment of a nursing home patient is $275,000.
The median verdict in Baltimore is a harder number to pinpoint with specificity. Why? Because there are so few nursing home cases going to trial in the Baltimore area, particularly in Baltimore City. As I have said elsewhere, it scares nursing homes to try cases anywhere but particularly downtown where juries are far too familiar with how awful nursing homes can be. Our experience is that good Baltimore nursing home cases settle in the $300,000 to $500,000 range.
An Example of What I am Talking About
There are a lot of great homes in Maryland that are doing a fantastic job. In fact, the Maryland Health Care Commission reports that Marylanders are generally satisfied with the quality of nursing homes where their relatives live. This is not an assault on every facility. But too many of these nursing homes are awful.
Still, there are other reports that are very disturbing. Here is an example and I wish it was rare. A few years ago, a former employee of Genesis Health Care’s Heritage Nursing and Rehabilitation Center, was found guilty in Baltimore District Court of abuse of a vulnerable adult arising out of an assault on a 74-year-old female nursing home resident.
Prosecutors said the perpetrator slapped the woman, who suffered advanced Alzheimer’s, in the face in anger and with such force that other residents could hear the blow across the room. The reason given for this outburst was the patient would not stop scratching herself as the nursing assistants were changing her diaper.
These Are Our Parents, Our Grandparents… and One Day Us
Folks, it does not get much more awful than that. I feel rage from recounting that story. Can you imagine if it was your parent or grandparents? Just awful. There is an opportunity for victims’ advocates to step into situations like this not to get compensation for the victims but to send a message to the nursing homes that while it might not appear that society is watching them and if they are abusing and mistreating these people that deserve our love and respect, justice will eventually be done.
Bring a Nursing Home Claim in Maryland
Our law firm handles nursing home cases. We hold these companies accountable when they do not offer the care that they should — that they must. If you or a loved one has a potential claim, call 800-553-8082 or get a free online consultation.