Contact us today if your loved one suffered an assisted living accident in Detroit.
Your loved one’s assisted living facility is responsible for their safety and well-being. If your family member suffered injuries in an assisted living accident, a lawyer from Pintas & Mullins Law Firm can help you seek the costs of their medical treatment and other related expenses.
Pintas & Mullins Law Firm Can Help You Prove the Facility’s Negligence
Your loved one’s assisted living facility (ALF) owes them a duty of care. The staff must provide all agreed-upon services and ensure your loved one is safe and protected. A failure to do so could constitute negligence and may mean your loved one is owed financial compensation.
Our lawyers can help you prove negligence using:
- Medical records related to your loved one’s accident
- Incident reports made by the ALF
- ALF staffing records
- Your loved one’s medical bills
- Eyewitness testimony
- Expert testimony
- Photographs of your loved one’s injuries
- Surveillance footage from the ALF (if applicable)
- ALF staff employment history and background checks
How Does Negligence Lead to Accidents?
You turned to an ALF because your loved one requires more help with day-to-day living than they can manage by themselves. This includes tasks like grooming, eating and drinking, and taking medications. Accidents and injuries can occur when the ALF’s staff is negligent and your loved one does not receive proper care.
A lack of help at mealtimes may mean your loved one does not get enough to eat or drink. This can lead to malnourishment and dehydration. These conditions are dangerous in and of themselves, but they also weaken the body, which can contribute to falls and other injuries.
A lack of help with personal care can lead to hygiene-related conditions, such as:
- Skin diseases
- Oral health problems
- Infections
When medication is not administered correctly, it can result in medication errors and adverse drug events. Even a lack of activities and social interactions can be harmful to a resident’s mental health, which can lead to physical decline.
Accidents Can Be the Result of Abuse
According to the American Association of Retired Persons (AARP), ALFs now outnumber nursing homes by about two to one in the United States. Elder abuse is a problem in all care settings, and ALFs are no exception.
Abuse is not the cause of all assisted living accidents, but the occurrence of accidents may be a red flag. There may be larger concerns about your loved one’s care if:
- They suffer from repeated and unexplained accidents
- They often have bruises, burns, cuts, or other physical injuries
- You notice your loved one has dirty hair, nails, or clothing
- The ALF seems unclean and poorly maintained
- Your loved one’s personal property and belongings are missing or tampered with
- The ALF seems understaffed, or the staff is poorly trained
Your family member’s behavior can also indicate problems at their ALF. If your loved one is afraid of or agitated by a caregiver, it could be a sign that that caregiver is causing them harm.
If your loved one suddenly becomes depressed, anxious, aggressive, or withdrawn, it could mean they are experiencing abuse.
Your Loved One Can Seek Compensation for Their Accident-Related Expenses
The fault for your loved one’s accident may rest with the ALF that failed to live up to the appropriate standards of care. Your loved one and your family should not get stuck paying for expensive medical bills because of another party’s negligence. You may be able to recover the cost of:
- Emergency room treatment
- Surgeries and medical procedures
- Medical equipment
- Medications
- Physical therapy and other rehabilitative services
- Emergency medical transportation
If your loved one suffered a severe or permanent injury or disability, they could be entitled to awards for their:
- Physical pain
- Emotional suffering
- Mental anguish
- Reduction in quality of life
If your loved one’s accident resulted in their death, you can seek compensation for medical care related to their final injury. You can also seek awards for the costs of their funeral and burial. You may be eligible to seek awards for your pain and suffering as well.
Our Detroit Assisted Living Accident Attorneys Can Handle Your Case
Our firm can file a claim with the ALF’s liability insurance provider. Let us handle the deadlines, paperwork, and negotiations so that you can focus on your family member and their healing.
Our attorneys will review any settlement the insurance company offers. If it is not satisfactory, we can fight for more compensation. While we will make every effort to settle your case outside of court, sometimes legal action is necessary. If your case must go to civil court, you have three years to file a personal injury or wrongful death lawsuit, according to MCL §600.5805.
Older Adults are More at Risk for Injuries in Accidents
Accidents can cause long-term physical consequences, especially in the elderly. For example, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) found that falls cause 95 percent of hip fractures in adults aged 65 and older. Hip fractures are painful, heal slowly, and can result in a loss of mobility.
We Put Victims and Their Families First
Pintas & Mullins Law Firm prides itself on serving victims with personalized, professional legal aid. We have been in practice for more than 35 years and have helped clients from across the country recover millions of dollars in successful settlements and verdicts.
Our winning track record includes compensation for victims of long-term care facility neglect and abuse. Let us put our team to work for you. Call our offices at (800) 842-6336. We are ready to answer your questions and provide you with a no-cost case evaluation.
Call or text (800) 842-6336 or complete a Free Case Evaluation form