5 Years Since Tennessee Nursing Home Fire
It has been five years since 16 people died in a nursing home fire at the NHC home in Nashville. The fire brought to the forefront the need for facilities to have mandatory fire evacuation plans and better systems to get residents to a safe place in case of a fire. According to the Tennessee Department of Health every nursing home is in compliance when it comes to fire safety.
Unfortunately, problems with basic care still exists. These quality problems led to admission suspensions in 24 facilities in 2007. The number stands at 19 for this year. So often the care issues are a result of simply not having enough quality staff at the homes. Without enough staff at these homes the basic needs of the residents can’t be meet and our loved ones suffer.
Maybe this year the Tennessee legislature and the nursing home industry can work on cutting these quality of care problems. We only ask that our loved ones be treated with dignity. My office sees to many neglect cases they could have been easily avoided if the nursing home would have worried less about profits and more about caring for the residents.
Author Bio
Jim Higgins, founder of the Higgins Firm, is a seasoned personal injury attorney with deep roots in Nashville, Tennessee. A 4th generation Nashvillian, Jim carries on the legal legacy of his father, a judge for over 30 years. After graduating from the University of Memphis School of Law, Jim’s career began on the other side of the courtroom, defending insurance companies and learning their tactics for minimizing settlements. However, he soon realized his true calling was fighting for the rights of the injured, and for the past several years, he has exclusively represented plaintiffs in personal injury cases.
Since then, his dedication and skill have earned him membership in the prestigious Million Dollar Advocates Forum, an organization limited to attorneys who have secured million and multi-million dollar verdicts and settlements for their clients. Licensed to practice in Tennessee, Kentucky, and Georgia, Jim focuses on personal injury, product liability, medical malpractice, and workers’ compensation cases. His exceptional work has been recognized by his peers, earning him a spot on the Super Lawyers list from 2021 to 2024, a distinction awarded to only a select group of accomplished attorneys in each state.
