While your loved one is under the care of a nursing home, there is no reason why they should experience any unexplained bruises, cuts, burns, or other injuries. They are supposed to be supervised and cared for by staff, 24 hours a day, with access to the mobility care and toileting assistance they need. There should be no opportunities for residents to suffer injuries. If your loved one has unexplained injuries, it could be time to hire a San Antonio unexplained bruises or cuts or burns lawyer.
It is true that sometimes accidents occur that cannot be prevented. For example, your loved one could get out of their bed in the middle of the night without notifying the staff and fall. In other cases, some medications may cause bruising. However, in both of these types of incidents, there should be an explanation or documentation of what happened. There will not be any level of secrecy that exists and leaves you to wonder about the quality of your loved one’s care. If there is, they could be experiencing some form of abuse or neglect that should be investigated.
If your loved one has unexplained bruises, cuts, or burns, you can call Pintas & Mullins Law Firm at (800) 842-6336. During a free consultation, we can listen to what happened to your loved one and provide you with legal advice. You do not have to commit to legal action during the initial consultation but rather can have your most important questions answered about the legal process and what you can expect from it. Get in touch with us today.
Types of Nursing Home Abuse
According to the National Center on Elder Abuse (NCEA), physical abuse made up most complaints of abuse in nursing homes at 29% in 2010. If you see that your loved one has unexplained bruises, cuts, or burns, they may be suffering from other types of abuse as well. Some of them may include:
- Emotional abuse: If you have noticed that your loved one has unexplained injuries and is withdrawn and depressed, you may want to investigate the situation even more. A nursing home staff member could have humiliated, threatened, or isolated them.
- Sexual abuse: If your loved one has unexplained cuts, bruises, or burns on their arms and legs, it may be best to have a doctor examine the rest of their body. If they have any of these unexplained injuries on their genitals or breasts, then this may indicate they have suffered sexual abuse in conjunction with physical.
- Neglect: Sometimes, the nursing home staff is overworked and cannot fully supervise the residents. In that case, your loved one may be neglected. Other residents could have acted violently against your loved one if a staff member was not present. If you think that this is the case, then ask the nursing home for their logbook to see where the staff was supposed to be at the time of the abuse.
There are other types of abuse not covered here. An intervention when abuse is discovered can minimize the damage and stop the abuse altogether. Filing a lawsuit can help deal with some of the long-term financial damage.
Statute of Limitations
According to Texas Civil Practice and Remedies Code §16.003, the statute of limitations for nursing home abuse is two years from the date it happened.
If your loved one has cognitive decline, such as Alzheimer’s disease or dementia, you might have a little more time to file your case. Regardless of the situation, it is always a good idea to start the process as soon as possible. This will give you the most time to build your case without worrying about running out of time.
Contact Pintas & Mullins Law Firm to see how a San Antonio unexplained bruises or cuts or burns lawyer can help you meet the statute of limitations.
For a free legal consultation with a Unexplained Bruises or Cuts or Burns Lawyer serving San Antonio, call (800) 794-0444
Determining Liability
Your lawyer will work on your case to determine liability. This is the person or parties that are financially responsible for the injuries associated with a specific claim. Without determining liability, it could be unclear who you can file legal action against. Your lawyer can help you figure out liability, as well as suitable legal tactics to use in your specific case. This will vary depending on the specific details of your case and your location.
San Antonio Unexplained Bruises or Cuts or Burns Lawyer Near Me (800) 794-0444
Possible Recoverable Compensation
The amount of compensation that you can expect to receive will vary on a case by case basis.
Every case is different. You can start to get an idea of what you could be owed by keeping careful track of your actual expenses as it relates to the case. Your lawyer can use this to try to get an accurate amount of the compensation that you could be entitled to.
Certain types of compensation, such as pain and suffering, are not based on monetary losses. Rather, it is calculated and awarded by a judge based on other factors.
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You may decide that pursuing legal action is your best next step. Bring along your questions and any evidence that you may have about your legal claims. There is no reason that you need to wonder about what your options are when there are resources available to you that can help you.
If your loved one has been injured without explanation at a nursing home, you have reason to be concerned about them and their wellbeing. Consulting a San Antonio unexplained bruises or cuts or burns lawyer can help clarify what your options are. Contact Pintas & Mullins Law Firm at (800) 842-6336 to discuss what happened during your free consultation.
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