A family attempting to file a wrongful death lawsuit after a loved one died at a nursing home was surprised to find that certain nursing homes can claim immunity. In at least one state nursing homes that are not for profit can claim charitable immunity from lawsuits. The law was put in place for hospitals who treated patients at no charge in the past to protect them from malpractice cases.

The patient in the care of the nursing home was alleged to have choked to death. However, police sent the body to the crime lab because the patient had fresh cuts on his face. The family is working to appeal the nursing home's claim for charitable immunity. For more, read the story.
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Robert W. Carter, Jr. is a Virginia attorney whose law practice is dedicated to protecting the rights of the victims of nursing home and assisted living neglect and abuse in Richmond, Roanoke, Norfolk, Lynchburg, Danville, Charlottesville, and across Virginia.