Nursing Home Wrongful Deaths In St. Louis

When a cherished elderly loved one requires a level of full-time care that exceeds their family’s capability, they search for the best nursing home they can find within their budget. Aging seniors and their families must trust that the nursing home administration, caregivers, and staff will adhere to their legal obligation to provide skilled care, enriching activities, and respect for the elderly loved one’s human dignity.

Around five million senior Americans experience abuse each year, many of whom suffer abuse at the hands of caregivers in nursing homes. Tragically, nursing home abuse sometimes leads to wrongful death in St. Louis nursing homes. Contact an elder abuse lawyer in St. Louis today.

Common Causes of Wrongful Death In Nursing Homes In St. Louis

Several types of abuse occur in nursing homes, including neglect, physical abuse, emotional abuse, sexual abuse, and financial abuse. The most common causes of wrongful death in St. Louis nursing homes include the following:

• Dehydration and malnutrition
• Untreated, infected bed sores leading to sepsis
• Medication mistakes
• Inadequate supervision leading to falls or a resident wandering off the nursing home property
• Lack of assistive walking equipment leading to falls
• Physical abuse by caregivers, including hitting, pushing, and the use of unlawful restraints
• Spread of infectious disease
• Choking
• Untreated infections from catheters
• Untreated respiratory infections
• Acts of violence from other nursing home residents

Nursing homes are often chronically understaffed, resulting in overworked and overwhelmed caregivers. High staff turnover rates and inexperienced staff members increase the chances of nursing home abuse, neglect, and wrongful death.

Who Can File a Nursing Home Wrongful Death Claim In St. Louis?

Like other states, Missouri law limits those who can file wrongful death claims, including in nursing home abuse and neglect cases. This prevents distant relatives from exploiting the death for financial gain and limits the claimant to those who suffer financial losses as a result of the death. In St. Louis, a close family member such as a surviving spouse, child, or grandchild may file a nursing home wrongful death claim.

These are among the first category of claimants. If the decedent leaves no surviving spouse, child, or grandchild, or they decline to file a claim, then a family member from the secondary category may file a wrongful death claim. This may be a sibling or the child of the decedent’s sibling. In addition to any of the above, the personal representative or executor of the decedent’s estate can file a nursing home wrongful death claim in St. Louis to benefit the deceased nursing home resident’s estate.

What Compensation Is Available In a Nursing Home Wrongful Death Claim?

A wrongful death claim after a loved one’s preventable nursing home death in St. Louis recovers financial compensation and a sense of justice for family members. A successful claim could result in compensation for wrongful death damages, such as the following:

• Medical expenses incurred before the death
• Funeral and burial costs
• Compensation for a family member’s income loss due to bereavement
• Loss of a loved one’s support, guidance, and companionship

In some cases of nursing home abuse, an attorney could gain a monetary amount for punitive damages if the nursing home administration or staff member’s actions were especially egregious.

Call Miller & Hine to Speak to a Nursing Home Abuse Attorney About Your Wrongful Death Claim

No one should have to learn that their elderly family member suffered abuse or neglect that led to their death, especially by those trusted with providing their care. Call the nursing home abuse lawyers at Miller & Hine to learn more about your legal right to demand financial accountability for your tragic loss.