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Month: April 2022

Nursing Home Patient Rights: Know the Facts

Written by Brandon Herrera on April 27, 2022. Posted in Personal Injury Case. No Comments on Nursing Home Patient Rights: Know the Facts

Nursing home patients have rights in New Mexico. Depending on someone else for your care doesn’t eliminate those entitlements. Whether you (or a loved one) lives in a personal care home or a skilled nursing facility, you deserve access to quality medical and personal care services.

Accidents can and do happen in New Mexico aged care facilities. Deliberate negligence also has been uncovered in the state over the years. The best way to ensure you or a loved one doesn’t fall victim to abuse or neglect is to know your nursing home patient rights.

The Right to Choose Your Own Physician

You’re not required to use a physician to whom you aren’t comfortable entrusting your care. Some nursing homes and other aged care facilities provide residents with on-site medical personnel as part of their services. Just because they offer it doesn’t mean you have to use it.

Beyond the freedom to choose your own doctor, you also have the following rights regarding your medical care and well-being, according to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.

Complete information about your health status in clear language that makes sense to you.
Full disclosure about your medical condition, prescriptions, and over-the counter drugs, vitamins, and supplements prescribed or recommended by a physician or other healthcare provider.
Total access to your medical records and reports, and to make important decisions about the development of care plans and other medical treatment decisions.

The Right to be Free from Discrimination

You don’t abandon your Constitutionally protected rights when you decide to live in an aged care home. One of those protections is to be free from discrimination based on age, color, disability, national origin, race, or religion.

If you think nursing home staff are engaging in acts of discrimination, you have the option of filing a civil rights complaint. Contacting an ombudsman can get the process started. You also can reach out directly to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Office for Civil Rights to lodge your formal grievance.

Contacting a civil rights attorney or one skilled in aged care abuse cases is another option for filing a discrimination complaint. Your attorney can review the circumstances and help determine the best course of action to resolve the issue.

You have the right to refuse any kind of restraints, including medication designed to make you drowsy.

The Right to be Free from Restraints

Personal care homes and nursing homes can’t use physical restraints on you for discipline purposes or to make life easier for the staff. Side rails on beds and medications that encourage drowsiness both fall into this category.

The Nursing Home Reform Act of 1987 prohibits physical restraints for nursing home residents without their consent. Emergencies are the only exception to the rule. A total of 10 items appear in the act under the Residents’ Bill of Rights.

Aged care facilities that do not follow the guidelines in the act can face civil and criminal penalties and possibly lose their licenses to operate.

The Right to be Treated with Respect

Choosing to live in a personal care home or other aged care facility doesn’t mean you surrender your right to be treated with dignity and respect. You have control over when you go to bed at night and get up in the morning, what you eat during mealtime, and what activities you participate in throughout the day.

Nursing homes must provide you with the rules for their facility before you agree to live there. They also must give 30 days written notice any time they change an existing rule or add a new one.

You have a right to privacy for making personal phone calls or visiting with guests without the oversight of a staff member.

The Right to Privacy

You don’t surrender your right to privacy because you choose to live in an aged care facility. It’s not a trade-off. What does privacy look like in a nursing home? Here is what you can expect.

The access to private phone calls and visits without oversight from a staff member.
The ability to send and receive postal mail and electronic communication (email) without oversight.
The advance notice about roommate changes and other living arrangement alterations before they are made.
The right to keep and use your personal belongings if it’s not interfering with the health or safety of others.

The Right to be Free from Abuse and Neglect

Nursing home abuse and neglect is a serious problem in the U.S. A 2020 study from the World Health Organization discovered that more than 64 percent of nursing home staff members admitted to committing some form of abuse or neglect. That’s a frightening statistic.

Abuse and neglect take many forms. There is physical and sexual abuse, but also psychological abuse. For instance, if a nursing home punishes you by isolating you from other residents, that’s a form of emotional abuse.

If you’re needs aren’t being met, or you are the victim of deliberate abuse or neglect, you can file a complaint with your long-term care ombudsman. Depending on the type of abuse, criminal charges may be warranted in addition to civil recourse.

The Right to File Complaints

You have a right to file a formal complaint to the staff of the nursing home, or any other authorized person, without fear of retaliation. From the quality of care you receive to a failure of staff to respect your privacy, there are many reasons you may want to lodge a grievance.

If you report your concerns to the proper authorities and do not get the response desired, it may be time to consult with an attorney skilled in handling nursing home complaints.

How to Sue a Private Prison

Written by Brandon Herrera on April 12, 2022. Posted in Civil Law, Personal Injury Case. No Comments on How to Sue a Private Prison

Prison isn’t a fun place to be, but that doesn’t mean prisoners should be subjected to abuse and neglect in the name of punishment. Yet, prison abuse allegations are on the rise in the United States in both state-owned and privately held prisons. Reports of abuse and inhumane treatment continue to surface about prisons in New Mexico, with some inmates filing a civil lawsuit.

There are nine prisons in New Mexico. Six are owned by the state and another three are owned by private entities. When prisoners feel their civil rights are violated, they have recourse. Contacting a law firm skilled in prison abuse violations is a crucial part of the process.

What rights do prisoners have behind bars?

Just because you are imprisoned as punishment for a crime doesn’t mean you lose all your rights while behind bars. You still have the right to a minimum standard of living and to be treated fairly without discrimination based on your race, sex, national origin, or religion. You also retain free speech and religion rights if they do not interfere with the status of other inmates.

The Eighth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution also protects prisoners from cruel and unusual punishment. Access to the parole process and due process for administrative appeals are included in these safeguards.

Map of all private prisons located in teh United States. Source: The Sentencing Project.

How is a private prison different from a state-owned prison?

Unfortunately, New Mexico’s use of private prisons exceeds that of other states. More than half of all prisoners incarcerated in the state are serving their sentences in private prisons, according to data from The Sentencing Project, which monitors private prisons in the U.S. In comparison, only 8 percent of prisoners nationally are housed in private prisons.

Public prisons are owned and operated by the state or federal government. Taxpayers foot the bill to operate them. Because they are taxpayer-funded, public prisons have strict reporting requirements and oversight by the government.

Private prisons receive funding from government contracts and other third-party investors. They are not required to release information about inmate populations or how the money they receive is being used to run the prison. Private prisons can pick and choose which prisoners they accept, with a tendency toward less violent inmates.

Despite favoring less violent inmates, a 2017 Justice Department report concluded that private prisons were more dangerous and less effective at reforming prisoners.

Why would you sue a private prison?

Injuries and abuse are the top reasons inmates sue private prisons. Other reasons may include becoming ill or injured due to negligence on the part of prison administration or staff. How you handle these kinds of incidents in a private prison is severely limited by the Prison Litigation Reform Act.

One of the starkest differences between public and private prisons is how inmates seek legal recourse for abuse and other mistreatment. Prisoners in public prisons can sue under Section 1983 of the Civil Rights Act if they are injured or abused.

Detainees in private prisons do not have the same ability since the prisons aren’t government-run. They must instead file standard tort lawsuits based on negligence or intentional torts like those used for battery.

What is private prison negligence?

Private prisons exist for one reason only: to make a profit. Putting profit above prisoner safety and security can be a common theme among private prisons. It’s not rare to see them accused of engaging in careless, dangerous, and negligent acts to save money. Failing to maintain adequate staffing levels is one way that private prisons put profit over prisoner well-being.

An attorney skilled in personal injury and civil rights laws can help prisoners and their families navigate abuses and other forms of neglect within the private prison system. The team at Cameron and Russell have the knowledge and experience to help you resolve private prison issues. Give us a call at 505-218-7844 or contact us online to schedule your case evaluation.

How to Sue for Lawn Mower Injuries

Written by Brandon Herrera on April 6, 2022. Posted in Deffective Product, Personal Injury Case. No Comments on How to Sue for Lawn Mower Injuries

Lawn mower injuries can be a surefire sign of spring. As soon as the flowers start blooming and the birds start singing, your grass starts growing, too. That leads to the annual firing up of the lawn mower for the first grass cutting of the season.

More than 35,000 Americans get hurt while mowing their laws each year. Most of these injuries happen when a mower’s feet contact a powered mower’s blades. Mowing while wearing flipflops or other open-toed shoes can increase the likelihood of this happening.

Many law mower injuries happen because of operator error. Others may happen because of a defective product or another person’s negligence. When the later occurs, you may be able to sue for your lawn mower injuries.

Defective product or operator error?

When a lawn mower causes a serious injury, the first question might be whether the mower was defective. Consumers who end up with lemons can file a product liability claim if their injuries were caused by a defective mower. There are two questions to ask when determining if the mower was functioning as intended.

Did the mower malfunction?
Lawn mower manufacturers design their products with safety in mind. Most mowers come with explicit instructions on how to operate them to safeguard your well-being. Consumers who follow the safety instructions and still become injured through no fault of their own should explore whether the mower malfunctioned. If so, they may be able to file a product liability claim against the manufacturer.
Was the mower poorly designed?
Sometimes a lawn mower’s design can contribute to injuries. Let’s say your mower comes with a foot guard that’s supposed to protect your feet from the mower’s blades during operation. The guard doesn’t work as intended, and you end up with significant injuries to your feet. In this case, the product designer may be at fault.
Did operator error cause your injuries?
Sometimes people are injured by lawn mowers they aren’t operating. How can this be possible? Well, let’s say you’re out for a leisurely walk through your neighborhood, when you get hit by a flying rock from your neighbor’s mower. If your neighbor had his mower’s deck turned toward the sidewalk, he can be at fault for your injuries.

Mowing in your bare feet is a recipe for disaster and can lead to some serious foot injuries.

What are some common lawn mower injuries?

Powered lawn mowers make yard work much easier. They may be useful, but they also can cause some serious injuries. Here are a few of the most common lawn mower injuries that happen each mowing season across the U.S.

Broken or fractured bones can happen if you try to mow while the grass is wet, and you slip and fall.
Burns are another way you can get injured. Powered lawn mowers get hot during operation. Accidentally touching the hood or other areas can cause serious burns.
Crushing body injuries can happen any time you operate a lawn mower. You could become trapped under the mower if it tips over, causing the crushing injuries.
Cuts and dismemberment can happen if you get your hands or your feet too close to the lawn mower’s blades while in operation. You can even cut yourself on the blades when the mower is turned off if you’re not careful.
Eye injuries can happen when the mower’s blades pick up debris (such as rocks) and throw them back at you. Wearing goggles while mowing can prevent eye injuries.

What steps do you take when injured?

Whether it’s a small cut or a broken bone, law mower injuries require immediate medical attention. Even small scrapes and abrasions can become infected without proper treatment. Going to your family doctor or the emergency room, if necessary, ensures you get the care you need. It also is the most effective way to document your injuries if you decide to move forward with a product liability or personal injury lawsuit.

After you receive treatment for your injuries, the next step is to consult with an experienced product liability or personal injury attorney. Bill Russell has the experience and knowledge to assist with your case. Call 505-218-7844 or contact Bill online to request a consultation.