Injuries in a nursing home setting may indicate abuse or neglect by staff and your loved one may be eligible for damages related to these injuries. A Los Angeles nursing home injury lawyer may be able to help you recover damages, including compensation for medical bills, pain and suffering, and emotional distress. A legal claim also can help you hold nursing homes responsible for abuse that occurred on their watch.
Call Pintas & Mullins Law Firm at (800) 842-6336 and get the help you need. We only charge fees when we get you a settlement or jury award, so you do not pay unless you win. We can handle your legal issues while you focus on the needs of your family following injuries.
Nursing Home Abuse and Injuries
Nursing home abuse is a common phenomenon throughout the world, and is one cause of injuries in nursing homes. The World Health Organization estimates that as many as two in three staff members have committed abuse in the last year in nursing homes or long-term care facilities. Sadly, residents, family members, or friends report only about one in 24 cases of elder abuse in these settings. These facts indicate that nursing home residents are at a high risk of abuse, including types of abuse that can lead to physical injuries.
Even if the injuries were not intentional, a nursing home may still bear liability for injuries. Neglect can occur intentionally or accidentally, and a resident can suffer and wind up with injuries. Even a failure to follow protocol can lead to the physical harm of residents.
Types of Nursing Home Abuse
The National Institute on Aging identifies several different forms of nursing home abuse. Two common types of abuse are physical abuse and emotional or psychological abuse. Physical abuse occurs when someone causes physical harm to a nursing home resident, such as by hitting them. Sexual abuse can include exposing or involving a nursing home resident in sexual acts. Sexual abuse can also cause physical injuries to nursing home residents.
Emotional abuse occurs when someone threatens or says hurtful things to a nursing home resident. Nursing home residents may experience financial abuse if caregivers take money or personal property from them or if caregivers convince or manipulate them into giving money to the caregivers. Although these forms of abuse do not cause physical harm, residents are still vulnerable to these actions in addition to physical or sexual abuse.
Neglect is also a form of nursing home abuse that can result in injuries. Nursing home employees may fail to properly care for residents, such as giving them medicine, food, or water, or otherwise responding to their calls for assistance.
Recognizing the Signs of Nursing Home Abuse or Neglect
Family members and friends often are in a position to recognize signs of abuse in nursing home residents. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, checking in regularly on loved ones living in nursing homes can be vital in identifying potential abuse. If nursing home residents are suddenly behaving differently, acting fearful, or becoming withdrawn, abuse is a possible cause.
Common signs of nursing home abuse may include significant changes in mood and behavior, including rapid weight loss, bedsores, bruises, or other injuries, and overall weakness. Nursing home residents also may become uncharacteristically quiet, unwilling to discuss some subjects, and exhibit poor hygiene when they have become victims of abuse or neglect.
You also should listen to your loved ones if they are residing in nursing homes. Instead of assuming that their complaints are related to their medical condition, try to discover whether abuse or neglect is occurring. Share your concerns about your loved ones with nursing home administrators or Adult Protective Services.
You can also consider legal help. Physical injuries can be serious for older adults, and these injuries can lead to complications. If nursing home staff members do not treat injuries right away, your loved one can face additional issues.
If the neglect or abuse from a staff member caused injuries, your family can face costly medical bills and ongoing medical treatment or rehab, along with mental pain and suffering. Your family can fight to hold staff, doctors, or the institution liable for your loved one’s injuries, and you do not need to seek financial justice alone. Contact Pintas & Mullins Law Firm today to discuss your nursing home abuse case.
For a free legal consultation with a Nursing Home Injury Lawyer serving Los Angeles, call (800) 794-0444
Available Damages in Nursing Home Abuse Cases
A Los Angeles nursing home injury lawyer may be able to help injured nursing home residents and their families seek compensation for their injuries. General and special damages both may be available in nursing home injury claims. CIV § 3333 permits injured persons to seek all damages necessary to compensate them for their injuries that the actions of others caused.
General Damages
General damages compensate injured nursing home residents for their injuries. These damages do not always easily translate into a dollar amount. General damages can include compensation for pain and suffering, emotional distress, disfigurement, and permanent physical or mental impairment.
Special Damages
Special damages involve compensation for specific economic losses to injured nursing home residents. The most common type of special damages may be current and future medical bills stemming from the injuries that the persons suffered from abuse. Other special damages can include loss of earnings and damage to property.
Punitive Damages
Punitive or exemplary damages may be available in some nursing home injury cases. These types of damages are not applicable to all cases, but CIV § 3294 permits punitive damages depending on certain factors.
Los Angeles Nursing Home Injury Lawyer Near Me (800) 794-0444
Contact Our Law Firm for Assistance with Your Nursing Home Injury Claim
Nursing home abuse can lead to severe injuries to your loved one, some of which may be permanent or even fatal. While you are dealing with the trauma that your family has experienced, a Los Angeles nursing home injury lawyer may be able to offer you the legal assistance in this situation.
Contact Pintas & Mullins Law Firm today and learn about how we may be able to help you and your family. Allow us to handle any legal claims that you may have while you concentrate your efforts on healing your family. Call our team at (800) 842-6336.
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