Legal Tips and Resources

It’s a sad and unfortunate fact, but over three million people are abused or neglected in nursing homes in the United States each year. While there are government agencies that should take action, sometimes it falls on the individual’s family members to file a lawsuit to seek legal ramifications for the responsible party. The following are some things you should know if you’re considering a lawsuit.

Take Action Immediately

If you so much as suspect the smallest amount of abuse or neglect, you should bring it to the attention of the doctor or other nursing home staff. If that doesn’t resolve the issue, you may need to get the state department of health involved, and possibly even the local police. You should also get in touch with a nursing home lawyer so you can have assistance in properly reporting the issue and taking action against the responsible party.

After you have reported the abuse, you should move your loved one to a new facility, or even another loved one’s home. He or she should never be left in an abusive situation.

Make the Case

With the help of your lawyer, you should begin to collect evidence of the abuse or neglect. The doctor may be able to help you with this by handing over medical records or collecting evidence you may not have access to. You can take pictures of injuries, get witness accounts from others at the facility and more. Your lawyer can put this all together in a compelling case against the responsible party. He or she may come across others who have been abused as well, making your case bigger, but more convincing.

Understand Legal Repercussions

There are various types of legal repercussions the liable party may suffer if your case is won. For example, he or she may receive a restraining order, could be fired from the job and could have his or her medical license taken away. It’s possible the individual responsible for the abuse will have to pay a high settlement, will have to complete community service or could end up behind bars.

When you seek particular damages, keep these in mind. Aside from the defendant being locked up, you and your family member could be entitled to settlement money to cover additional medical care costs, pain and suffering, and more.

Contact Your Attorney Today

Nobody who abuses or neglects another individual should get away with it. If your loved one has received abuse at the hands of someone in a nursing home, stand up and get the problem taken care of. Contact a nursing home neglect lawyer today to learn more about what you can do.