UNIONDALE, NEW YORK — Attorneys from the law firm Duffy & Duffy Law are available for comment on how New York nursing homes failed to prepare for the coming COVID-19 pandemic, contributing to more than 6,600 deaths.
The firm filed a series of lawsuits on behalf of the residents’ families, claiming the facilities willfully failed to implement an infection control program as required by the 2016 Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Final Rule and its accompanying 2019 memorandum. Further, the nursing homes violated New York State Public Health Law by failing to properly train their staff on infection control and emergency preparedness. In addition, they did not heed the warnings from the New York State Health Department back in February that the virus would hit the state.
On April 3, Governor Andrew Cuomo signed into law a bill that protected nursing homes and hospitals from legal liability during the pandemic, except in instances of willful gross negligence or reckless misconduct. However, in response to the increase in COVID-19 related deaths at these facilities, the state Legislature approved a bill on August 3 that would roll back certain legal protections for hospitals and nursing homes.
On July 28, the state Legislature began holding a series of hearings to investigate how the coronavirus spread through the nursing homes and, specifically, if it was related to a state order requiring nursing homes to take in residents who had the virus. Currently, the U.S. Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division also began its investigation to determine if the state directive contributed to the residents’ deaths.
For more information, call (516) 394-4200 or visit www.duffyduffylaw.com.
###
About Duffy & Duffy Law
Based in Uniondale, New York, Duffy & Duffy Law offers solid and legal counsel and representation to people who have suffered from negligence and medical malpractice. The firm advocates for patients of negligent physicians and nurses throughout New York, sheds light on uninsurable doctors who continued practicing and held insurance companies accountable for dictating patients’ course of treatment, leading to tragic outcomes. Duffy & Duffy Law serves injured individuals throughout Nassau, Suffolk, and Kings Counties, as well as the Bronx, Queens and other areas of New York. For more information, call (516) 394-4200 or visit www.duffyduffylaw.com.
