If you believe that a loved one suffered from a nursing home accident as a result of negligence or intentional violence while under the care of a caretaker, then you can work with a Kansas City nursing home accident lawyer from Pintas & Mullins Law Firm to start building a legal case for compensation.
For a case consultation, call (800) 842-6336.
Examples of Nursing Home Accidents
In the eyes of the law, nursing home accidents involve the physical injury of a resident while in the care of a caretaker. Nursing home residents are already at a higher risk for serious injury, and something as simple as a fall can severely disrupt their quality of life. If these injuries seem to correlate with mistreatment or elder abuse, then they can lead to long-term trauma or disability.
Some of the most common accidents to occur in a nursing home include but are not limited to:
- Spinal injuries
- The development of bedsores
- Concussions
- Falls that appear to have occurred as a result of purposeful physical harm or neglect
- Neglect, in general
- Infections
- Unexplained bruises and cuts
Nursing home accidents are not intentional. However, when the damage a resident suffers is continual, or when that party’s well-being continues to decline long after they should have received care for their injuries, then you can look more closely to determine if foul play contributed to your loved one’s injuries.
Symptoms of a Nursing Home Accident
When you visit a loved one in a nursing home, you want to determine whether or not they are well. In doing so, you can keep an eye out for symptoms of a nursing home accident that either your loved one or attending caretakers may try to hide.
Some of the most common signs of a nursing home accident to look for, should such an accident go unreported, include but are not limited to:
- A loved one’s discomfort in bed
- A loved one’s unwillingness to discuss the past few days
- Limping
- Bruising
- Unexplained cuts
- Avoidant behaviors or rapid changes in conversation
While you cannot force a loved one to discuss a nursing home accident, you can keep a wary eye on the environment around you. You can also speak with the other nursing home residents if you believe a loved one suffered an accident, even if your loved one is not willing to discuss their injuries.
Signs of Nursing Home Abuse to Watch For
As mentioned, nursing home accidents do not automatically indicate nursing home abuse. However, if one of your loved ones appears to be constantly injured, or appears to have suffered from an injury too severe to be attributed to an accident, then you may want to consider the possibility that the caretakers may be engaging in elder abuse.
There are several types of elder abuse to which nursing home residents can fall victim. These include physical, sexual, emotional, and financial. Neglect is its own category of elder abuse, even though neglect can contribute to trauma in all of the aforementioned categories.
While each category of abuse will have its own tells, you will want to keep a close eye out for some combination of the following behaviors to determine whether or not a loved one has suffered mistreatment at the hands of nursing home caretakers:
- Withdrawn behavior
- The sudden onset of depression or anxiety
- Fear, especially around one or more of the nursing home staff
- Sudden changes in finances
- Sudden changes in prescribed medication
- Visible injuries or bruises
If you suspect that one of your loved ones may have fallen victim to nursing home abuse, you can work to remove your loved one from that environment. At the same time, you can work with law enforcement representatives and a legal team to take action against those parties who caused your loved one harm. Pintas & Mullins Law Firm can help you take your first steps. Call a member of our team today.
For a free legal consultation with a Nursing Home Accidents Lawyer serving Kansas City, call (800) 794-0444
What Legal Action to Take After a Nursing Home Accident
If you believe a loved one suffered from a nursing home injury or that their attending caretakers may be engaging in elder abuse, you have the right to take legal action. In a civil case, you can pursue compensation for the losses you and a loved one endured as a result of a nursing home accident.
You do not, however, always have to go to court to do so. In some cases, should nursing home caretakers recognize that you might take legal action based on their behavior, you may receive a settlement offer. A Kansas city nursing home accident lawyer can look over such a settlement with you to determine whether or not it adequately addresses the losses you and your loved one faced. In the same vein, an attorney can help you determine whether or not there are other legal avenues available to you based on your losses.
If you do not receive a settlement offer, you can choose to file a lawsuit.
Missouri’s statute of limitations under the Revised Statutes of Missouri (RSMo) §516.120 gives injury victims five years following the nursing home accident to file a lawsuit against the negligent party.
Kansas City Nursing Home Accidents Lawyer Near Me (800) 794-0444
A Kansas City Nursing Home Accident Lawyer Can Help You Fight for Compensation
We do not charge you for the legal advice you receive while fighting for compensation after a nursing home accident. You can pursue a legal case and benefit from legal representation, and you will only receive a bill if a court or liable party provides you with compensation for your losses.
For a case consultation, call (800) 842-6336.
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