Nursing homes exist to care for the frailest and vulnerable members of our society. Placing a loved one in a nursing home is never an easy decision, but family members typically find peace in making such a decision with the knowledge that their loved one will be kept safe.
Most nursing home residents are well cared for throughout their stay, but sometimes things go wrong. When things go wrong, nursing home residents can suffer catastrophic injuries. They can be abused, and they can be neglected.
Because such things can and do happen, most large nursing home chains frequently have new residents or their family members sign pre-dispute arbitration agreements to keep civil claims arising from such injuries, abuse or neglect out of the court system.
More often than not, the residents and their family members are never aware that an arbitration agreement was included in the stack of paperwork that was signed during the admission process. If and when they do find out, it is almost always after something has gone wrong, and at that point, their avenues of legal recourse are limited.
It is never wrong to read nursing home admission paperwork before signing it, and it is never wrong to ask questions about it. If the questions are not answered to your satisfaction, or if you have any other concerns, there is nothing wrong with consulting with an attorney.
The law firm of Colucci, Colucci & Marcus, P.C. has been recognized by Newsweek.com as one of the Top 10 Best Law Firms for Personal Injury in the Country. Attorney Darin Colucci has also been recognized by Newsweek.com for 3 consecutive years as one of the Top 10 Best Personal Injury Attorneys in the Country.
