Hurricane Irma brought destruction to the entire state of Florida in September 2017. Millions of people spent days without power, and thousands sustained massive damage to their homes. It seems that the Florida Keys, Naples area and Jacksonville were hit the hardest, while Broward and Palm Beach counties fared well in comparison.
Weeks later, the storm’s wrath is still clearly visible in the piles of trees on the side of city streets and the missing signs from local businesses across South Florida. However, the impact is much less superficial for the residents and families of Rehabilitation Center in Hollywood Hills, Florida, where eight people lost their lives in the wake of Hurricane Irma.
The victims ranged in age from 70 to 99 years old, and early reports show that their deaths were preventable. After the nursing home lost power, the elderly residents suffered in oppressive heat until they began dying. It wasn’t until lives had been lost that staff began evacuating residents to nearby healthcare facilities.
According to NBC News, the death toll from this one incident has now risen to twelve. Could something have been done to prevent the loss of lives in that nursing home? Most people say yes. In fact, the Hollywood police are treating all of the deaths as a criminal investigation.
Nursing home abuse is more common than you think.
As our population’s age increases, so does the amount of nursing home abuse, neglect, inadequate and substandard care. Our firm handles cases involving various types of ulcers or open wounds (including pressure sores, bed sores, and ulcers), which result from poor care. We also handle claims resulting from medication errors, substandard care, falls which occur in the facility, and claims resulting from dehydration, malnourishment, weight loss or other inadequate nutrition issues.
With our longstanding experience, we are more than qualified and willing to represent victims of unfortunate tragedies such as the Hollywood Hills Nursing Home debacle. If you or a loved one has been injured or harmed as a result of any of the situations above, please contact us to learn more about your legal rights.