Unexplained bruises, cuts, and burns may be clear indicators that your loved one may be suffering abuse from the nursing home staff members or another fellow resident. However appalling the reality may seem, elder abuse is a prevalent issue in nursing home facilities, and more often than not, it goes undetected.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), at least one out of six people over 60 years old suffer some form of abuse in the nursing home facility. At worst, nursing home abuse may cause life-threatening injuries to the victims or leave the elderly person frightened and isolated from friends and families, causing irreparable psychological and physical harm.
At first, there is a need to have a conversation with your loved one about the unexplained bruises, cuts, or burns. However, you must do so in an environment where they feel safe and secure as they may be hesitant to report their abuser for fear of retaliation from nursing home staff.
If you believe that your loved one suffered injuries as a result of abuse or neglect, a Nashville unexplained bruises or cuts or burns lawyer can help you hold the nursing home and staff responsible for abuse or neglect that led to your loved one’s injuries.
At Pintas & Mullins Law Firm, we are dedicated to protecting the rights of vulnerable elderly residents in nursing homes. Call us today at (800) 842-6336 for a free case evaluation.
Seek Prompt Medical Attention for Your Loved One’s Injuries First
As soon as you notice your loved one’s injuries, it is imperative to seek prompt medical care for them. Even if the injuries may appear to be healing, medical care may still be important because medical evidence is crucial in building your loved one’s claim for compensation.
Your lawyer will use the medical records to compile expenses and losses suffered and assign a monetary value to your claim. Additionally, older people often take longer to heal from injuries, so you will want to seek medical attention for your loved one’s speedy recovery.
You Need Answers for the Unexplained Injuries
Caregivers at nursing home facilities have a duty to oversee and monitor residents’ health. For this reason, they should have some idea of how your loved one’s injuries occurred. Any unexplained bruises, cuts, and burns may be a sign of negligence.
Even though the elderly are prone to bruises and cuts even at the slightest of irritation or contact with objects, some cuts, bruises, and burns may be a cause for concern. To get to the crux of the matter, it may be important to do the following:
- Discuss every instance with the caregiver, letting them know that you are concerned. Ask them rational questions about the injuries and note down their responses.
- Record the chronology of events. Make sure to note the date and time of each response by the caregiver.
- Reach out to residents and try to get information on how your loved one was injured. Note down all the responses and see if there is any consistency.
- Notice any negative reaction of your loved one towards caregivers and note down the staff member’s name.
- Report the abuse. If you believe that your loved one is in serious danger, report the issue to the police and transfer your loved one from that facility.
While residents in a nursing home may be prone to cuts and bruises from normal incidences such as tripping or hitting an object, burns cannot occur as a result of ordinary everyday incidents. Therefore, they are a clear indicator of abuse and neglect in nursing homes. Common reasons for burns in nursing homes may include:
- Unsupervised smoking
- Contact with hot food or drink
- Direct contact with heaters
- Extremely hot water when bathing or showering
- Contact with hot electrical appliances
For a free legal consultation with a Nashville Unexplained Bruises or Cuts or Burns Lawyer serving Nashville, call (800) 842-6336
Nursing Homes Have a Duty to Protect Residents from Injuries
Nursing homes must exercise reasonable care to protect their residents from harm, abuse, and neglect. If residents suffer injuries that can be preventable, you may have a right to hold the facility liable.
Burns, cuts, and bruises are a result of abuse by nursing staff. These bruises and cuts may occur when a nursing home staff mishandles or intentionally causes bodily injury or trauma to a resident. In this case, the nursing home may be found negligent for hiring unqualified staff.
Nashville Nashville Unexplained Bruises or Cuts or Burns Lawyer Near Me (800) 842-6336
We Can Help Establish Liable Parties
Having legal representation may help you protect the legal rights of your loved one to determine the liable party for any neglect and abuse. Pintas & Mullins Law Firm will work with medical professionals to provide expert insight that may help corroborate your side of the story. Call us today for help from a Nashville unexplained bruises or cuts or burns lawyer.
According to the National Center on Elder Abuse (NCEA), the following parties may be held liable for your loved one’s injuries:
- Nursing home: The facility may be held liable for understaffing or hiring under-qualified staff.
- Staff members: A member of staff who is the abuser may be liable for intentional pain they inflicted on your loved one.
- A fellow resident: If your loved one’s fellow resident is behind the unexplained injuries, they may be held liable for the injuries and damages.
Our legal team may also help you gather the necessary documentation in a nursing home abuse claim. Your Nashville unexplained bruises or cuts or burns lawyer may:
- Take photographs of your loved one’s injuries as evidence
- Obtain reports from medical professionals to ascertain that your loved one’s injuries are a result of the abuse
- Negotiate a settlement with the nursing home’s insurance company
- Escalate the matter to a lawsuit against the negligent party
Click to contact our Nashville Unexplained Bruises or Cuts or Burns Lawyers today
Contact Pintas & Mullins Law Firm Today
If your loved one suffered unexplained injuries, reach out to us to find out how you can file a personal injury or a wrongful death lawsuit. Call Pintas & Mullins Law Firm at (800) 842-6336. We work on a contingency-fee-basis, meaning that you won’t pay us anything unless we win your case.
Call or text (800) 842-6336 or complete a Free Case Evaluation form
