Verbal and emotional abuse in a nursing home is often harder to detect, but the effects can be long-lasting if abusers go unchecked. If you believe your loved one suffered from verbal or emotional abuse in a nursing home, you can do more than separate them from a toxic environment. With help from a Dallas verbal or emotional abuse lawyer, you can fight for compensation on your loved one’s behalf.
To learn more, contact Pintas & Mullins Law Firm today at (800) 842-6336 for a free consultation.
Examples of Verbal and Emotional Abuse
Verbal and emotional abuse can be difficult to spot, particularly in nursing homes with elderly and/or incapacitated patients. However, both types of abuse involve the manipulation and degradation of the receiving party.
A nursing home caretaker may engage in verbal or emotional abuse by:
- Overly criticizing someone within their care
- Frequently insulting a patient in ways that affect their behavior and self-esteem
- Manipulating a patient into thinking that the world is against them
- Isolating a patient from other patients and family members
The National Institute on Aging (NIA) confirms that many elderly people are ashamed to report mistreatment. They may also be afraid that if they make a report, it will get back to their abuser and make the situation worse.
Signs of Verbal and Emotional Abuse
Unfortunately, verbal and emotional abuse do not leave behind the kind of physical evidence that physical and sexual abuse do. However, if your elderly loved one has fallen victim to verbal or emotional abuse, you may start to notice changes in their behavior. You will want to keep a close eye out for tendencies to isolate, personality changes, and other signs that suggest something is amiss with your loved one.
The signs of verbal and emotional abuse in a nursing home may include:
- An unwillingness to interact with a particular staff member
- An unwillingness to interact with other residents
- Less willingness to talk with visitors
- Self-harm
- Sudden onset of depression or anxiety
- Malnutrition
- Dehydration
- Lower self-esteem
If you have a loved one in a nursing home who has trouble communicating, you can check in with other residents or staff to try to determine why their behavior has changed. You may also want to watch your loved one’s body language carefully, as they may try to communicate with you non-verbally.
For a free legal consultation with a Dallas Verbal or Emotional Abuse Lawyer serving Dallas, call (800) 794-0444
How Dallas Law Allows You to Respond to Verbal or Emotional Abuse
A nursing home caretaker who verbally or emotionally abuses someone under their care violates that party’s right to a standard of care. To seek legal action against them, you must not only prove that the standard of care was violated, but you must also choose how you want to fight for compensation. A Dallas verbal or emotional abuse lawyer can explain your legal options and help you determine your next steps.
Demand Letters
If you want to bring your concerns directly to the party you believe is liable for your loved one’s abuse, you can craft a demand letter. Demand letters are delivered directly to the party in question, outlining your loved one’s losses and any evidence you have that establishes liability.
Demand letters can help you avoid court, but only if the party who receives the letter is willing to discuss compensation. If the party seems reluctant to take responsibility for your loved one’s losses, even with the evidence you have, you may need to pursue other options.
Complaints
If you would rather bring your case before a judge, you can file a legal complaint. Legal complaints, like demands, can help you identify the party you believe to be liable for your loved one’s losses. You can use this document to organize and present your evidence. You can also itemize your loved one’s losses and provide a compensation estimate to the court.
Your compensation after a case of verbal or emotional abuse can include both economic and non-economic damages. Economic damages are losses with a clear financial value attached. For example, if your loved one began to self-harm after an incident of verbal or emotional abuse, the liable party may have to pay for their medical bills.
Verbal and emotional abuse often involve non-economic damages as well. Non-economic damages, such as mental anguish, do not come with a set financial value. A Dallas verbal or emotional abuse lawyer can calculate your loved one’s losses and determine fair compensation for your loved one’s pain and suffering.
It is important to note that you must present your complaint within the statute of limitations outlined in Texas Civil Practice and Remedies Code §16.003. Failure to meet this deadline can result in your case being dismissed without consideration. To help ensure that your case is filed in time, contact Pintas & Mullins Law Firm today for a free case evaluation.
Settlement Offers
If you let the nursing home know that you are pursuing compensation for your losses in a verbal or emotional abuse case without filing a demand letter, you may receive a settlement offer. While a settlement offer may cover all your losses, you have the right to delay your acceptance of a settlement or reject it outright. Instead, you can work with a Dallas verbal or emotional abuse lawyer to calculate what your potential compensation might be if you choose to file a complaint instead. Your lawyer can then negotiate on your behalf for a maximum settlement.
Dallas Dallas Verbal or Emotional Abuse Lawyer Near Me (800) 794-0444
Contact Pintas & Mullins Law Firm Today
You do not have to take on the challenge of managing a verbal or emotional abuse case against a nursing home on your own. A Dallas verbal or emotional abuse lawyer with Pintas & Mullins Law Firm can help determine what legal path may be best for your case. Together, you can fight for compensation on behalf of your loved one.
To get started, contact Pintas & Mullins Law Firm today at (800) 842-6336 for a free case review.
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