Elder Law

Elderly Protected by Fairness in Nursing Home Arbitration Act

By Levin & Perconti

The elderly and their families will no longer be forced to give up their legal rights and sign one-sided mandatory arbitration clauses under new nursing home legislation introduced in the US Senate. The bipartisan Fairness in Nursing Home Arbitration Act of 2009 will prevent nursing homes from deliberately hiding fine print clauses that force seniors to surrender their rights to jury and enter an unfair and one-sided mandatory binding arbitration process. The nursing home legislation will make sure negligent nursing home corporations can be held accountable by the most vulnerable citizens. American Association for Justice President Les Weisbord stated that ?This bill will prevent nursing home corporations from unfairly preying on seniors and stripping away their legal rights.? This will help victims like one who received unconscionable care from a negligent nursing corporation. The man was suffering from dementia lost 20.6 pounds without any notification to his physician or wife. The man died a month after being found severely dehydrated. His family wanted to bring a nursing home negligence suit, but learned they would be forced into one-sided mandatory binding arbitration. To support the nursing home arbitration act please contact your congressmen. To read more about the nursing home bill, please click the link.

Full post as published by Illinois Nursing Home Abuse Blog on August 14, 2009 (boomark / email).