Upper Marlboro Personal Injury Law Blog

Earlier this year, a video taken outside the University of Maryland Medical Center in Baltimore went viral due to the shocking content of a woman being abandoned outside the hospital. A man passing by recorded a young female patient clothed in nothing but a hospital gown and socks being escorted out of the building by what appeared to be security guards. The woman was then left alone at a nearby bus stop in freezing temperatures. Thanks to this viral video, the issue of patient dumping became a national headline.

According to the Centers for Medicaid and Medicare Services, the Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act, which was enacted in 1986, mandates that patients must be given care regardless of the ability to pay for it. Patient dumping is any action that occurs when a hospital does not perform the duty expected of them by law. You cannot be "dumped" based on your financial circumstances, your lack of insurance or for any discriminatory reasons such as race or national origin.

Choosing to place a loved one in a senior living residence can be a difficult decision in itself. It is for this reason that finding an honest, quality facility is crucial. Maryland, like other states, enforces specific laws that protect all residents in a nursing home. When one finds that a resident has not received this quality service, further action may be necessary.

When facing a challenging situation, it can be helpful to expand one's knowledge on nursing home regulations as a whole. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration outlines the nursing home standards held by a number of states, including Maryland. Since 2007, Maryland has enforced a straightforward law requiring all hospitals to supply a safe patient lifting team with enough staff present at all times. OSHA also provides a number of brochures and handbooks for all nursing home employees regarding various hazards and safety risks of the job. The administration updates these handbooks on a regular basis and provides additional training resources for nursing home staff. 

Every time one steps into a vehicle driven by another in Upper Marlboro, he or she is entrusting (either knowingly or inadvertently) his or her safety to that driver. By extension, so is his or her family. Thus, when passengers are killed or injured in car accidents, they and/or their families may be placed in the difficult position of having to make the drivers legally liable for the outcome. This may not be by choice; the need for monetary assistance to cover their accident expenses may require them to do so. 

Two Bowie families may be forced to contemplate such a decision after their sons were involved in a recent accident. While one of the teens survived, the other sadly succumbed to his injuries. The boys were traveling in a car with another teenage girl, who has since been identified as the driver. The car suddenly swiped another vehicle, then subsequently lost control. It veered off of the road and then hit a tree. Both the surviving boy and the girl are reported to have sustained critical injuries.

Most Maryland residents are familiar with nursing homes on some level. Despite how difficult it may be, making the decision to place a loved one in someone else's care is sometimes the best option for everyone involved. The most crucial aspect of this decision, however, is that of the medical professionals and nursing home staff themselves. Can they be trusted? Below are some red flags to watch out for when searching for a new place of residence for an elderly person in need.

Care Pathways provides some common warning signs that a nursing home may not be as reliable as it seems:

• The resident is more confused or drowsy than normal
• The resident has poor personal hygiene
• The resident has broken bones or other unexplained injuries
• The resident is withdrawn and isolated