Personal Injury
Over 800 Violations Found in Oklahoma Nursing Homes and Residential Care Facilities
We entrust nursing homes to properly care for our loved ones who can’t necessarily take care of themselves. Unfortunately, the Oklahoma State Department of Health has recently cited more than 830 violations, some of which include resident theft, unsanitary conditions, and even threats of physical violence against residents. These violations took place in residential care homes in the state of Oklahoma between the time periods of late 2006 to early 2009, according to a two-part tulsaworld.com report.
Residential care homes slightly differ from nursing homes in that residents are not necessarily elderly; instead, they are typically mentally inhibited which prevents them from safely living on their own. However, the similar type of treatment received at both facilities should never be characterized, as the article points out, by acts of rape, sexual abuse, or general mistreatment that leads to serious injury or fatality. Other documented cases of inappropriate treatment include residents being forced to live in filthy, unsanitary conditions, and even being supervised by convicted felons. Regardless of what kind of poor treatment residents receive, negligent nursing homes and caregivers who fail to provide safe living conditions need to be held accountable for that failure in a court of law.
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ODOT Negligent Action Can Result in Motorist Payout
The Oklahoma Department of Transportation (ODOT) is responsible for the upkeep of Oklahoma roads and highways (not all of them though, as some roads are city or privately owned). This helps ensure that motorists are not put in harm’s way when traveling. However, upkeep can often be lax. For instance, dangerous road conditions can arise and unsuspecting Oklahoma motorists may become involved in traffic accidents that could ultimately result in personal injury or even wrongful death. According to an article featured on tulsaworld.com, ODOT has compensated motorists more than $465,000 since 2005 for such incidents.
Reportedly, the ODOT will compensate affected motorists if they provide evidence which shows that the ODOT was in some way negligent in allowing for vehicles to be affected by unsafe road conditions, such as potholes and other road impairments. For example, a Rogers County man was awarded $62,500 in 2009 for what was deemed to be a “dangerous interchange/failure to warn.” However, it should be noted that the ODOT must accept that negligence took place. For all instances where an individual is affected by a matter that the ODOT was not aware of, no such compensation will be granted. Nevertheless, anyone injured in an auto accident may want to consider contacting an experienced Oklahoma auto accident attorney who will protect their rights and help hold negligent parties liable for injuries sustained.
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