For more than 20 years, Wicker Smith has been defending long-term care clients against allegations of wrongdoing. We have served as part of national trial counsel teams litigating nursing home and assisted living facility cases across the country. With this extensive experience, we understand the serious and critical impact that these allegations can have on those dedicated to caring for the elderly or disabled.

We work with nursing homes and assisted living clients to establish that applicable standards of care have been satisfied. We also provide preventative legal counsel to avoid future liability claims of negligence or misconduct, ensuring that a facility’s policies are compliant with the Agency for Health Care Administration (AHCA). Wicker Smith advises on a multitude of administrative duties, including effective nursing home operations, hiring and firing policies and procedures, training and maintaining sufficient staffing ratios.

We have rigorously defended hundreds of claims of all types, and probably almost every type of long-term claim that arises including:

• Injuries, including decubitus ulcers and falls
• Wound Infections
• Wrongful death
• Weight loss, malnutrition, feeding tube problems
• Neglect or abuse
• Professional misconduct: failure to provide proper standard of care
• Medication errors
• Sexual abuse

We have tried to verdict several dozen nursing home claims, more than half resulting in defense verdicts, and all ending in results satisfactory to our clients. Our appellate department has successfully defended our results on appeal. We have successfully arbitrated claims for clients and have mediated hundreds of claims to a successful conclusion.

The long-term care industry has faced unprecedented challenges including the fight against COVID-19. Our attorneys mobilized immediately to work with our long-term care clients to evaluate and defend COVID-19 claims and suits. We relied on regular alerts from departments of health, Agency for HealthCare Administration, the Center for Disease Control & Prevention and Center for Medicare & Medicaid Services to guide our clients through the increase in claims. We serve as National COVID-19 counsel for several clients and are on a number of COVID-19 client task forces.