Physical abuse leaves more than just bruises and scars behind on nursing home residents. Repeat brutality and other harm can force one of your loved ones to endure long-term trauma.
You do not have to let an incident of physical abuse go unanswered. A Dallas physical abuse lawyer can work with you to determine what happened to your family member under a caretaker’s watch and how best you can respond.
You can reach out to Pintas & Mullins Law Firm to discuss your best course of action after your loved one suffered from physical abuse at their nursing home. Call (800) 842-6336 today for a free case consultation with a team member.
Identifying Physical Abuse in a Nursing Home
Physical abuse in a nursing home constitutes all incidents of intentional harm inflicted upon one of the residents. This abuse can include biting, kicking, punching, purposeful falls, and other forms of harm.
Nursing home residents often struggle to express themselves when these incidents take place and might try to hide them for fear of angering their abuser. However, if a nursing home worker does not act on a resident’s behalf in a case of physical abuse, that abuse can result in long-term injury, illness, trauma, and even death.
Neglect and Physical Abuse Often Overlap
Physical abuse and neglect can overlap. Physical abuse sees one or more parties actively engaging in harmful behaviors with your loved one as a target. However, neglect could involve the nursing home staff ignoring your family member’s physical needs. Neglected nursing home residents can suffer from dehydration, malnutrition, bedsores, or an overall lack of hygiene. Likewise, neglected nursing home residents have a greater likelihood of succumbing to infections or illnesses.
If you believe that neglect or abuse may have played a role in your loved one’s condition, you can connect with a Dallas physical abuse lawyer to discuss what your best course of legal action might be. Call Pintas & Mullins Law Firm today for a free case review with a team member.
For a free legal consultation with a Dallas Physical Abuse Lawyer serving Dallas, call (800) 794-0444
How to React to Physical Elder Abuse
If you believe that a loved one has fallen victim to physical abuse at their nursing home, you will want to act quickly to get them out of a dangerous situation and fight for justice on their behalf. As you go through the process of reacting to this new information, you could take several steps.
Reach Out for Help
You do not have to take on a nursing home abuse case alone. First and foremost, you can reach out to your friends and family for guidance. Take in your loved one’s condition and determine whether they are safe in their current residence. If possible, try to get them away from their abusers by moving them from the facility.
For more help, you could always contact a Dallas physical abuse lawyer. Even when you first learn about your loved one’s abuse, you can discuss your loved one’s condition with an attorney. They can explain your legal options for recovering compensation for medical bills, moving costs, pain and suffering, and more.
Gather Your Data
Unlike verbal or emotional abuse, physical abuse tends to leave behind evidence that it occurred. While your loved one may attempt to hide such evidence, either out of fear or pride, you can work with an investigator or a Dallas physical abuse attorney to start compiling evidence you might need to identify a liable party.
Forms of evidence that could serve you well while compiling a physical abuse case can include:
- Photos of bruises, cuts, bone fractures, and other injuries your loved one may have suffered while under the nursing home’s care.
- Eyewitness accounts of the abuse.
- Expert testimony.
- Video footage of the abuse taking place.
File Your Legal Documents
With your data in hand, you can determine through what legal means you will use to fight for compensation. You have a few options available to you, including demand letters and complaints.
If you would prefer to avoid going to court, you might find it in your best interest to file a demand letter with the nursing home where the abuse took place. In this letter, you can present the recipient with your evidence of the abuse and an estimate of the compensation your loved one should receive for their injuries.
If that party does not acknowledge the role they played in your loved one’s abuse, you might have to file a complaint, the first step to initiate a lawsuit. You must file suit within the two-year statute of limitations set by Texas Civil Practice and Remedies Code §16.003 for personal injury lawsuits.
Dallas Dallas Physical Abuse Lawyer Near Me (800) 794-0444
You Can Work with a Dallas Physical Abuse Lawyer
When faced with your loved one suffering from physical abuse or neglect at a nursing home, you could connect with a Dallas physical abuse lawyer. In doing so, you can determine what all your potential avenues for compensation might be. Similarly, you can allow an attorney to handle your communications with other parties potentially involved in your case, thereby enabling yourself what emotional separation you might need to focus on your loved one’s recovery.
The team at Pintas & Mullins Law Firm operates on contingency. As such, you will not have to worry about legal fees while taking legal action against your family member’s abuser and the nursing home where the abuse took place. Instead, you can rest easy knowing that you will only receive a bill if you receive a settlement or court award. Even then, we only request a percentage of your award instead of asking you to dip into your savings.
If you want to fight for justice and compensation on behalf of a loved one, a Dallas nursing home abuse lawyer can help. Call (800) 842-6336 to discuss your case with a team member at Pintas & Mullins Law Firm.
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