Alexandria, LA – Four Nursing Home Residents Die, 12 Hospitalized in Mass Shelter After Ida
Alexandria, LA (September 06, 2021) – Four nursing home residents died while being housed in a mass shelter where over 800 residents were crammed into a leaky warehouse to wait out Hurricane Ida.
State officials who attempted to investigate the deteriorating conditions at the warehouse were turned away by employees and were unable to check on the welfare of other residents.
Nursing home residents from seven different facilities were eventually evacuated to the mass shelter in Independence ahead of Hurricane Ida. The facility, called Waterbury Companies Inc., appears to be a warehouse owned by the same person who owns the seven nursing homes.
One employee, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said cots were stacked on top of one other on the ground. At one point, water came rushing into the building forcing some of the residents to be moved. There was no privacy for taking care of the residents, and there weren’t enough people on staff to take care of everyone.
On Thursday, residents were moved out of the warehouse in wheelchairs and on stretchers into waiting ambulances. Some of the nursing home residents were transported to Louisiana State University and the rest were taken to Alexandria to the Hurricane Ida mega-shelter.
Inspectors from the Louisiana Department of Health said they were notified of the poor living conditions at the facility following Hurricane Ida. They attempted to investigate in person but nursing home personnel denied them access in spite of the state’s authority to investigate nursing homes.
The law in Louisiana does permit nursing homes to choose where to evacuate when under a mandatory evacuation order but demands that a safe place must be provided for the residents.
Three of the four residents who have passed away since Ida have been classified as storm-related fatalities. At this time, causes of death have not been determined for any of the deceased.
The Louisiana Department of Health has identified three of the victims as a 52-year-old man from New Orleans, a 59-year-old woman from Jefferson parish, and a 77-year-old man from Terrebonne Parish.
It took less than 24 hours to remove the 843 patients from the warehouse. Twelve were hospitalized for medical treatment.
We would like to offer our deepest condolences to the family of the deceased victim at this time.
Wrongful Deaths in Alexandria
Louisiana defines wrongful death as one that occurs due to the fault of another. Typically, this involves situations in which one person dies because another person acted negligently, either recklessly or deliberately. Car accidents, medical negligence, and even acts of criminal violence can all be legitimate sources of wrongful death suits.
Wrongful death claims can also be brought against businesses, corporations, manufacturers, and other entities responsible for deaths caused by wrongful practices, negligence, or in cases for which they are directly liable.
Wrongful death claims give survivors a sense of recourse when an act of negligence causes the death of someone they love. Louisiana law permits specific survivors to bring a wrongful death claim on behalf of the deceased.
Alexandria Wrongful Death Attorneys
When someone is hurt in an accident due to another’s negligence, they will have legal avenues open to them. By seeking the legal counsel of an Alexandria personal injury attorney, victims can learn about the various legal avenues they may wish to pursue.
The Alexandria wrongful death attorneys at Smiley Law Firm have decades of experience in bringing irresponsible people to account. Our team works to support their clients and make sure they get the best possible legal advice. We will always answer any questions our clients have and take care of each legal complexity as it arises.
Working with a legal team that is sympathetic as well as assertive will give you your best chance at obtaining full and fair financial compensation for your damages.
The personal injury attorneys at Smiley Law are dedicated to defending a victim’s legal rights and building the strongest claim possible in order to maximize their economic recovery. If you were injured in a road accident, contact our personal injury law firm in Alexandria by calling 504-688-3494 or 504-822-2222 to schedule a free evaluation of your case at your earliest convenience.
Note: These posts are constructed with the use of secondary sources. These sources include but are not limited to local and state news stories, local and state police accident reports, social media platforms, and eyewitness accounts about injury accidents that take place in New Orleans and throughout Louisiana. We did not independently verify the fact surrounding this accident. If you locate any information that is inaccurate, please contact our firm and we will correct the post to reflect the most accurate information available. We will also remove this post upon request.
Disclaimer: These posts are created to raise awareness about the dangers of driving in Louisiana. We hope that by casting light on serious accidents like this one, other drivers will take heed, and avoid being seriously injured in a similar accident. This post is not a solicitation for business. The information contained in this post is not intended to be legal or medical advice. The photo used in this post was not taken at the accident scene.
