Florida has long been the bullseye for trial lawyers. A recent study of law firm and legal services ads by the American Tort Reform Association counted one ad every two minutes from April through June of last year in the Tampa Bay market alone. Meanwhile, Florida also ranked as the second-worst “judicial hellhole” in another study of the most unfair and unbalanced civil court systems.
One of the trial lawyers’ favorite targets is the nursing-home profession. They spread the message that nursing homes and their staff are failing our seniors. Their objective is to use the guilt faced by family members who must make the difficult decision to place their loved one in a nursing home.
Meanwhile, the final stages of life can be stressful for family members, even when their loved ones receive the best of care. A lack of appetite, weight loss, confusion and agitation, changes in skin temperature and color are often signs that are unfamiliar and upsetting. Sadly, lawyers seek to profit by exploiting these experiences and using family members as leverage in settlement negotiations.
These lawsuits also create problems for the people entrusted with caring for our elderly friends and family members. Working to ensure our seniors receive the attention and treatment they deserve is extremely difficult when you are constantly worried whether you will be sued.
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