When San Bernardino County Nursing Home Residents Are Left to Die

Nursing Home Law Group, including attorneys Lukas Pick and Randy Walton, has represented California families against negligent nursing homes for more than 30 years, including families in San Bernardino County. No one should receive a phone call saying a parent has died after not receiving basic care. If that has happened to you, a San Bernardino County nursing home neglect lawyer from our firm can help you hold the facility accountable.

These are commonly cited causes of preventable nursing home deaths:

• Untreated bedsores that become severe infections
• Lack of help with daily activities, leading to fatal injuries
• Improper or delayed medical care
• Wandering that leads to dangerous exposure
• Medications missed or given incorrectly
• Falls with untreated fractures
• Willful deprivation, meaning intentionally withholding care

Often these deaths are not intentional. Understaffing and burnout leave residents without care. In plain terms, a nursing home can be responsible for what its staff did and did not do, even when no one meant harm.

What is "willful deprivation"? It means a facility knowingly withheld care or necessities a resident needed. It is more serious than simple oversight, and it can open the door to additional remedies under California's elder abuse laws.

A study published in Health Affairs Scholar found that nursing home mortality has returned to pre-pandemic levels without actually decreasing. That means some deaths from abuse, errors, and negligence have continued at consistent rates.

Our experience includes cases in which residents were hurt during transfers, such as a fall from a lift or a poorly executed move from bed to wheelchair, and then did not receive the follow-up care that might have saved them. We start with the records, interview witnesses such as former staff and family members, and work with medical experts to show how the facility's care fell short.

Civil cases are filed in San Bernardino County Superior Court, and local rules and scheduling practices apply alongside state law. [VERIFY AND INSERT: the specific courthouse the firm uses, such as the San Bernardino Justice Center or another district, and any applicable local rules.] Many nursing home admissions agreements include arbitration clauses, and our attorneys evaluate whether those clauses are enforceable before deciding where a case will proceed.

A resident with limited mobility is left in bed for long stretches in the summer heat, and a pressure sore goes untreated until the resident is hospitalized with a serious infection. We would secure the chart and staffing records, determine whether an arbitration agreement applies, and, if the case proceeds in court, file in the appropriate San Bernardino County courthouse.

How long do I have to act? Deadlines for nursing home claims can be short and depend on the type of claim. To be safe, it is important to get most cases on file within a year of the date of neglect or the date of death. A San Bernardino County nursing home neglect lawyer can tell you which deadline applies.

If you believe a loved one died because a San Bernardino County facility failed to provide care, contact the Southern California Nursing Home Law Group for a free, confidential consultation.