Nursing Home Resident Died After Ingesting Dishwashing Liquid In San Mateo County
SAN MATEO, CALIFORNIA (August 7, 2024) – An elderly woman has tragically died after she ingested toxic chemicals at an Atria senior living facility in San Mateo.
San Mateo County officials are saying that the incident took place on Thursday. A woman was mistakenly served dish-washing liquid instead of juice.
Paramedics were called to the scene in order to help the woman. She was taken to a hospital in order to receive care. It remains unclear how or why the victim was served the dishwashing liquid.
A full investigation into the incident remains ongoing at this time.
Liability For San Mateo County Nursing Home Deaths
Accidental poisoning remains a serious cause of preventable injury and death in the United States. According to the National Safety Council, “Drug poisonings account for 97% of poisoning deaths, more frequently referred to as drug overdoses. Over three out of four of these drug overdose deaths involved opioids. Deaths due to alcohol poisoning decreased 16% since 2020, totaling 2,238 in 2022.” There are a number of other substances that could cause accidental poisoning.
- Household chemicals
- Plants
- Spoiled food
- Alcohol
- Carbon monoxide
Depending on the facts of any case, a nursing home could be liable for any instance where a resident died from an accidental poisoning. All businesses have a legal obligation to maintain their premises in a reasonably safe condition. When a business has actual or constructive notice of a dangerous condition with their property, they must take action. This could include any instance where dangerous chemicals are unlabeled or not properly labeled. Nursing homes should take a number of measures in order to prevent accidental poisonings.
- Nursing homes should keep accurate medication records.
- Nursing homes should properly label and store dangerous chemicals.
- Nursing homes should ensure that all of their staff are well trained.
- Nursing homes should comply with all state and federal safety regulations.
Poisonings are nearly always preventable in nursing home settings. These incidents nearly always involve instances where nursing homes are not following safety standards. In particular, many nursing homes fail to properly label cleaning products and other hazardous substances. Sadly, though, nursing homes will often do everything in their power to deny responsibility if someone in their care dies.
Investigating San Mateo County Nursing Home Deaths
We at the Sehat Law Firm extend our deepest condolences to the family of the woman who died at this San Mateo County nursing home. There needs to be a thorough investigation into what went wrong. This was a preventable tragedy that should not have taken place.
Do you need more information about a San Mateo County nursing home death? Our team of personal injury attorneys is here to answer any questions that you may have. We are committed to helping victims of nursing home abuse and holding nursing homes accountable for their actions. Whether you just have legal questions or need any type of support, we are here for you. You can reach us anytime at (949) 825-5200.
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