The history of almshouses, charitable housing for the poor, old and distressed, predates the settlement of America. Over the years, conditions in these facilities have been the subject of much debate. With the post-Depression establishment of government-funded social programs and the advent of Medicare and Medicaid, skilled nursing facilities grew exponentially to care for the aging population. Unfortunately, the quality of care in Mississippi nursing homes is not always ideal.

Government studies paint an ominous picture of this problem. It is estimated that up to 5 percent of all nursing home patients in the U.S. are the subjects of criminal neglect. Many people consider the criminal behavior to be assertive acts, such as assault or theft. While this certainly this does occur in nursing homes, criminally neglectful behavior also includes the failure to provide adequate care.

Whether through inadequate training, understaffing or simply by the staff members’ failure to do the job, many nursing home patients do not receive enough nutrition, hygienic care, exercise and other basic necessities based. Other issues arise because the staff fails to maintain adequate standards by washing their hands regularly and keeping equipment in proper condition. In some cases, the nursing home staff fails to maintain adequate control over certain patients, who become a danger to their fellow residents.

In the case of nursing home neglect, it is often the family and friends of the patient who must act. A nursing home neglect lawyer can be instrumental in safeguarding a victim’s fundamental rights. Through a claim or lawsuit, the at-fault party could be held accountable.

The World Health Organization has ranked traffic crashes as the No. 8 leading cause of death globally. While drivers in Mississippi can feel confident that road safety laws are adequately protecting them, this is not the case in many countries. The 2018 Global Status Report on Road Safety, released in December by WHO, shows that those in low-income countries are three times more likely to die in a traffic crash than residents in high-income countries.

The statistics show that 13 percent of all fatal traffic crashes occur in low-income countries, despite the fact that only 1 percent of traffic crashes occur in those same countries. Africa and Southeast Asia see the highest percentages. Overall, 29 percent of all fatalities are car occupants, 28 percent are those on motorized two- or three-wheelers and 26 percent are pedestrians and bicyclists.

WHO found that many low-income countries lacked safe roads. Of the 175 countries analyzed in its report, 43 lack national designs for safe pedestrian and bicyclist crossings, and 83 lack standards for separating motor vehicles from bicyclists and pedestrians. In low-income countries, twice as many crash victims die en route to the hospital as in high-income countries.

WHO also focused on speed limits, drunk driving laws and regulations covering seatbelt, motorcycle helmet and child restraint use. They found that 123 countries had laws that met best practice recommendations for at least one of these risk factors.

Traffic crashes can leave survivors with serious injuries, emotional scarring, vehicle damage and lost income. By filing a car accident claim, a victim can strive for damages that cover these and other applicable losses. However, it’s important to see a lawyer for a case evaluation first. Legal counsel could negotiate on the victim’s behalf with the at-fault party’s auto insurance company.