New rules on whether you can sue a nursing home
Earlier this week the Washington Post’s Cindy Skrzycki wrote an article about a measure passed quietly at the end of President Bush’s term in office that will severely hinder your and my ability to effectively sue nursing homes for abuse and neglect. The new rule re-designates state inspectors and Medicaid and Medicare contractors as federal employees. As a group, federal employees are protected from having to provide evidence to either side of a private lawsuit.
This change means much more legwork, legal fees, and extended timeframes for people pursuing justice against criminally negligent or abusive nursing homes. Once a relatively smooth process, requesting information is now causing stalling in the courtrooms, already affecting several cases.
What can you do about this? Contact your senators here in Tennessee or Mississippi to let them know how you feel about this new rule. They are elected to represent you, and your voice matters. See below for your senators’ contact information:
Senator Lamar Alexander, TN
Office of Senator Alexander
SD-455 / Washington, DC 20510
Main: (202) 224-4944
Fax: (202) 228-3398
Senator Bob Corker, TN
Dirksen Senate Office Building
SD-185
Washington, DC 20510
Main: 202-224-3344
Fax: 202-228-0566
Senator Thad Cochran, MS
United States Senate
113 Dirksen Senate Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20510-2402
Main: 202-224-5054
Senator Roger F. Wicker, MS
487 Russell Senate Office Building
Washington , DC 20510
Main: 202-224-6253
Fax: 202-228-0378
