As the coronavirus takes a devastating toll on seniors in nursing homes, many attorneys are turning down grieving families seeking to sue long-term care providers for wrongful death. That's because more than half of U.S. states have granted nursing homes and other health providers protection from lawsuits during the pandemic.
The federal government says COVID-19 has killed about 162,000 nursing home residents and workers _ accounting for roughly 1-in-3 virus deaths in the U.S. The national association representing nursing home operators says many would be forced to close under the financial strain of litigation. But the AARP and other advocates for nursing home residents say states have essentially made negligent care acceptable.
