Lawyers representing the families of people who died of COVID-19 have put nursing homes on notice that they plan to sue.
That includes the Opis Coquina nursing home in Volusia County, where 16 residents have died from the new coronavirus.
Lobbyists representing nursing homes and assisted living facilities have asked Florida’s governor for immunity from lawsuits, which he has so far declined to do.
Matt Morgan is an attorney with Morgan and Morgan.
“In every jurisdiction where you live, right now, there’s a big powerful lobby, that is going to your politicians and trying to slide things into legislation in total and complete immunity for anything that they do wrong to kill your mother or father. And that’s wrong,” Morgan said.
An industry group representing nursing homes declined an interview. So far, 776 long-term care residents or staff members have died of COVID-19, according to Florida Department of Health data — more than 40 percent of the overall death toll.
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