Tennessee Law Blog

Cornelia House, located off Ellington Parkway near Shelby Bottoms Park here in Nashville, was ordered by The Tennessee Department of Health this weekend to no longer admit residents until it cleans up its act and provides a safe environment for those under its care. The 159-bed nursing home is also facing a $7,500 fine for recent violations brought to investigators’ attention by a complaint filed last month. An additional fine of $6,200 a day may be imposed until violations have been corrected. According to The Tennessee Department of Health, this is the fourth year in a row that Cornelia House has been sited for conditions that put their residents in immediate risk of harm.

Nursing homes are businesses. While they should provide a healthy and active environment to our elderly loved ones, the dollar is always their bottom line. Cutting costs often means cutting corners, such as providing inadequate attention to residents, using restraints instead of implementing fall plans or, as in one of the many citations issued against Cornelia House, having inadequate measures in place to prevent residents from wandering out the facilities.
Unfortuantly, it is not a surpise to hear about this sanction. Our firm has represented a number of families that have been victims of nursing home neglect. It is a pattern that must stop.

Willard Ross, a retired coach at Northwest High School, was fatally wounded by gunfire June 25 in the parking lot of the Wal-Mart on Ft. Campbell Boulevard in Clarksville, Tennessee.

Coach Ross was a beloved educator and the community is horrified and saddened by his tragic death. This senseless act of violence is even more shocking considering the circumstances. Coach Ross was an innocent bystander murdered at one of the nation's largest and most trusted merchants. Millions of innocent people visit Wal-Mart stores all over the country without giving a second thought to their personal security. They may need to change their thinking in the wake of this tragedy.

Perhaps the most disturbing aspect of this terrible crime is that it appears that Wal-Mart, an enormous and very successful corporation that gladly takes millions of dollars from its customers, apparently chose not to provide security in the parking lot after it has already taken their money. As a matter of fact, according to the paper the Wal-Mart on Ft. Campbell Boulevard in Clarksville terminated its contract with the Clarksville Police Department and has hired a private security firm. The community can only hope that this change doesn't bring an increase in the incidents of crime at this store, where many of the city's residents go to shop every day.

According to government statistics approximately 45 pedestrians are killed annually nationwide every year in school bus/pedestrian accidents. Of those accidents about 80% of the pedestrians killed are students. 2/3 of the total number of fatalities are struck by the front of the bus. During the last two years, two children in Washington have died after being run over by the front wheels of a bus.

In an attempt to lower the number of school bus/pedestrian accidents, North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, and Georgia have mandated the use of crossing control arms mounted to the front of all school buses. When extended the force students to walk at least five feet in front of the bus, which keeps the students within the bus driver's view.

I would encourage you to contact your local school board, councilman or legislature and request that Tennessee join this group of states. Nothing would make me happier than to never have another parent in my office morning the loss of a child. This is one more way we can keep that from happening.