Burn Injuries To Resident Caused By Unsupervised Use of Cigarette Lighters In Michigan Nursing Home
The Buckfire & Buckfire P.C. Michigan nursing home injury attorneys have significant experience in representing residents suffering from burn injuries due to the unsupervised use of cigarette lighters in Michigan nursing home. If your loved one suffered burn injuries due to the nursing home’s lack of supervision, the facility may be negligent and it may give rise to a Michigan nursing home neglect lawsuit. At Buckfire & Buckfire, P.C. the personal safety of your loved one is our top priority. Nursing homes and assisted living facilities have an obligation to ensure the safety of their residents from injury inflicted by not just the staff, but by other residents at the facility as well.
Nursing homes are entrusted with the safety of your loved one. This responsibility should be taken seriously by the facility. Thus, the facility should have policies in place to protect the safety of your loved one by providing proper supervision of their residents. More often than not, burns that happen in nursing home are caused by resident who are in possession of cigarette lighters without the nursing home’s knowledge. In fact, cigarette lighters are one of the most common sources of injury to nursing home residents. Nursing homes should have strict smoking policies in effect, and not allow the use of unsupervised cigarette lighters at any time within the facility or assisted living home.
Smoking Polices To Prevent Cigarette Lighter Burns in Michigan Nursing Homes
Michigan nursing homes need to create and implement smoking policies to decrease burn related fires and injuries. Most smoking policies forbid patients from smoking in their rooms primarily due to the difficulty of supervising them and the inherent risk of falling asleep while smoking.
Smoking in nursing homes can be considered counter- productive to the patient’s health. Unsupervised smoking in nursing homes is putting all residents and staff in danger, and the cause for burn injury to a resident from a cigarette lighter becomes greater. Even when monitored, there is an increased risk of burn injury in nursing home facilities that permit smoking compared to those that do not allow it.
In addition to safety concerns related to cigarette lighter burn injuries and fires, allowing residents to smoke in a nursing home diverts staff resources to the supervision of residents who smoke and away from the task of providing care needed to the other residents. According to The National Fire Protection Association, elderly people are three times more likely to suffer a smoking related injury than people younger than the age of 65. While guidelines and policies may reduce the chance of fires in nursing homes facilities, eliminating smoking remains one of the easiest ways to improve the overall living conditions for all residents and nursing home staff.
Legal Rights For Burn Injuries Caused By Unsupervised Use of Cigarette Lighters in Michigan Nursing Home
Residents who suffer burn injuries due to the unsupervised use of cigarette lighters in a Michigan nursing home do have legal rights. The nursing home facilities in which your loved one resides in is responsible to protect the residents at their home from burn injuries and to supervise them at all times when a resident is smoking or there is use of a cigarette lighter. When a nursing home fails to supervise the use of a cigarette lighter, and injury is a result of residents being unsupervised, the Michigan may be negligent, and it may give rise to a Michigan nursing home neglect lawsuit.
Contact a Michigan Nursing Home Injury Attorney
If your family member suffered from burn injuries due to the unsupervised use of cigarette lighters in a Michigan nursing home, you should contact our experienced expert nursing home neglect attorneys immediately. Call us now at (800) 606-1717 to speak with one of our experienced Michigan nursing home neglect lawyers about your case. We will represent you under our No Fee Promise, which means no legal fees or costs until we prove and win your case. Call today for your free consultation!
