Nursing home residents often reside in nursing homes because they cannot easily handle tasks such as grooming, cooking, and driving. Many facilities in Hollywood and Florida offer these services. For example, many nursing homes will have a shuttle or a way to transport residents to doctor’s appointments, specialists, and out for shopping.
Unfortunately, traffic accidents can happen if nursing homes are not careful when transporting residents. Accidents and collisions can occur due to:
- Inadequate screening of the staff members who drive residents.
- Reliance on taxis and unproven methods to transport residents.
- Heavy work hours and overstaffing, which can lead to fatigued driving.
- Drunk driving or drugged driving, which can be made worse if no screening is in place.
- No formal policies or rules on how drivers are supposed to keep residents safe.
- Insufficient staff to resident ratio in the car, which can mean drivers cannot offer adequate supervision or distracted driving.
- Incorrect maintenance of cars used to transport residents.
- Inadequate checks and training of the driver.
Even nursing home policies can contribute to collisions. Nursing homes can reduce the risk of nursing home accidents by:
- Instituting background checks and periodic testing of drivers.
- Having at least two staff members in the car.
- Having scheduled breaks for drivers.
- Not expecting drivers to transport for hours without rest.
- Planning routes ahead of time.
- Offering adequate time to reduce the risk of speeding.
- Insisting drivers turn off cell phones during the drive.
- Using cab cams to keep residents safe.
- Asking drivers to take re-training with a professional instructor to build skills.
Unfortunately, older residents of nursing homes may be more at risk if they are in a collision. If they have underlying medical conditions, recovery may be more complicated and full recovery may not be possible. Osteoporosis and other conditions can also mean a greater risk of fractures. A serious injury can also complicate existing conditions such as diabetes and can require long-term care. Not all older residents may be physically fit enough for surgery needed to repair serious injuries, which can mean families have to make painful decisions.
If you or a family member have been injured in a traffic collision caused by nursing home negligence, contact a nursing home abuse and negligence attorney in Hollywood by contacting Flaxman Law Group at 1-866-352-9626 (1-866-FLAXMAN) for a free accident consultation. Our legal team has more than six decades of experience and has already secured tens of millions of dollars on behalf of thousands of injured plaintiffs. Contact us today to speak to our experienced and caring team.