If you believe your loved one has been a victim of abuse or neglect in a nursing home, you may be eligible to recover substantial compensation on their behalf. A Wesley Chapel nursing home abuse lawyer from Distasio Law Firm will go after the responsible party or parties and help you fight for the money you deserve. We want to put our experience and resources to work for you.
At Distasio Law Firm, we believe in putting the needs of our clients first. We never collect a fee until our clients recover money, and our lawyer prioritizes honesty, communication, and transparency. We make you a partner in the process from day one, always keeping you informed of what is happening with your claim. You can contact us for a free, no-obligation case evaluation with a member of our staff today.
The Statute of Limitations for Nursing Home Abuse Cases in Florida
First and foremost, we want you to understand that the time to take civil action against a nursing home facility or other responsible party is limited. Florida law dictates a two-year statute of limitations on filing a lawsuit for nursing home abuse or neglect under Florida Statutes § 400.0236. Depending on the circumstances, this timeline generally begins on the date of your loved one’s injury or the date you first recognized the abuse.
However, the filing window can be longer or shorter if extenuating circumstances apply to your case. That is why you may want to consider contacting our law firm as soon as you suspect something is amiss with your loved one’s care. An attorney on our team in Wesley Chapel can investigate the nursing home for evidence of abuse and determine if it is appropriate to take action.
If we need to, we can take steps to begin a lawsuit right away to make sure no important deadlines expire in the case.
For a free legal consultation with a nursing home abuse lawyer serving Wesley Chapel, call (813) 259-0022
What Our Personal Injury Team Can Do for You
Distasio Law Firm fights for those who have suffered due to another’s negligence, including victims of nursing home abuse. When our firm represents you, we provide The Distasio Touch, which means we:
- Listen to what your loved one experienced with care and compassion
- Help you understand the rights of a nursing home resident and speak with you candidly about your legal options
- Put in the time and effort to thoroughly investigate the case and collect all available evidence
- Take over all communications with other parties
- Establish liability of the nursing home and other parties
- Construct a strong case with evidence of the damages
- File all necessary paperwork promptly
- Fight for a financial recovery that addresses the harm your family has endured
Our team is not afraid to take action against nursing home abuse in court when we believe it is the best option for your case. We will always be upfront about each development so that you can make informed, confident decisions.
Our personal injury attorney has a long and successful track record of fighting for the rights of injured victims and their families, helping them recover compensation. This history of success includes cases related to negligence in Florida nursing homes. Here are a few examples of settlements we’ve won in cases against such facilities:
- $1.7 million for a family whose loved one passed away from choking after nursing home staff failed to prepare her food properly on three separate occasions
- $750,000 for a family whose loved one passed away after lack of proper care from nursing home staff allowed him to develop severe gangrene, resulting in leg amputation and eventual death due to stress
- $225,000 for a woman who fell from her wheelchair and broke her femur, despite the family’s request that nursing home staff utilize a lap belt to prevent such falls
Since each case is different, our team will examine the specific facts around your loved one’s injuries to arrive at a fair settlement value before we demand compensation. We want to ensure that we leave nothing off the table or undervalued when seeking justice and financial recovery for your family.
Our support staff is always available and always eager to help with anything you need. This approach allows us to tailor the services we offer in each case, so our clients never feel uninformed or lost. Our efforts have earned us five-star reviews from multiple past clients:
- “I felt at ease having them represent me. They have been understanding and compassionate and with great integrity fought for me and represented me. You can’t ask for a better team of individuals that care so much about their clients and get the job done.” – Evelyn Santos
- “Everyone at Distasio Law is amazing. There was never a time that I did not feel that they were working in my best interest or that they were working hard.” – Amy Cook
- “They were extremely responsive and answered any and all questions I had, I never left their office or got off the phone with them without my questions answered and my concerns addressed! The firm even called me after the completion of my case to ask me how I was feeling! Couldn’t have asked for a better lawyer!” – Barbara McCloy
Our firm is ready to deliver the same level of compassion, service, and support in your case against a negligent nursing home. You should not have to face financial hardship due to someone else’s harmful action or inaction involving your loved one’s care.
Wesley Chapel Nursing Home Abuse Lawyer Near Me (813) 259-0022
Financial Compensation for Elder Abuse in a Pasco County Nursing Home
If your loved one suffered abuse or neglect at a nursing home facility, your family could recover compensation for the physical, financial, and emotional harm this caused. Our Wesley Chapel team at Distasio Law Firm can identify all of the damages your loved one and family have experienced and fight for financial recovery. We can help you demand a settlement that may include money for the following and more:
- Your loved one’s medical expenses to treat injuries resulting from the abuse
- Pain and suffering
- Emotional distress
- Loss of your loved one’s companionship
- Funeral and burial expenses
The exact type and amount of damages in each case are unique, which is why our team will put in the time and resources to properly document and assign value to them.
Click to contact our Wesley Chapel Personal Injury Lawyers today
Understanding the Types of Nursing Home Abuse
Nursing homes have unfortunate reputations as dingy, depressing places, and many people dread the day they need to place a loved one there due to their need for 24-hour care. In reality, most nursing homes provide excellent care, and their staff members are very attentive to the needs of their residents.
That said, it only takes a small percentage of facilities with problems to reflect poorly on the entire industry. Elder abuse and neglect, while statistically unlikely, is, without a doubt, a significant problem in Florida and all over the country.
There are many ways in which a nursing home resident might suffer abuse. A few of the most common are listed below.
The definition of physical abuse in the context of a nursing home extends well beyond hitting, kicking, punching, and other obvious acts of physical violence.
Whenever a caregiver uses more force than necessary to handle or restrain a nursing home resident, it could become physical abuse. This includes the unnecessary use of physical or chemical restraints on a resident.
Emotional abuse is another broad type of mistreatment and may include:
- Manipulation and intimidation
- Isolation from other residents or loved ones
- Humiliation, such as name-calling
- Emotional neglect
Sexual abuse does not have to involve physical contact. Although rape and molestation do occur in nursing facilities, sexual abuse may also include:
- Inappropriate comments or gestures of a sexual nature
- Subjecting a resident to pornography or other sexually charged material
- Unwanted jokes of a sexual nature
Nursing home residents have long lists of needs to which caregivers have a duty to attend. That is why residents are in nursing facilities in the first place – if they could feed themselves, bathe themselves, drive themselves to the store, and remember to take their medication at the right time, 24-hour care might not be necessary.
When a nursing home caregiver fails to meet every need of a resident, it constitutes neglect. This neglect may include failing to provide adequate food, not administering medication on time, or even failing to give the resident enough attention.
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Signs of Abuse and Neglect in Long-Term Care Facilities
You should alert somebody the minute you believe your loved one is suffering from abuse or neglect in a nursing home. Many nursing home residents no longer have the capacity to speak up for themselves or, in some cases, even become aware of mistreatment. Those who do may be scared to speak up since they likely rely on the abuser for their basic daily needs.
As their loved one, you are their eyes and ears – it is better to voice your suspicions and be wrong than remain silent while your loved one suffers. Here are a few of the most common signs of nursing home abuse and neglect that you should be watching for when you visit your loved one:
- Unexplained bruises or other physical injuries
- Sudden and unexplained changes in personality or mood
- Fear or reticence around a certain caregiver
- Dirty clothes or bed sheets
- Unexplained changes in medication
- Malnutrition or dehydration
- Unexplained distancing from loved ones
Our team can begin investigating and building a civil case against the facility as soon as you contact us. Meanwhile, there are likely several other steps you will want to take in the days following the discovery of nursing home abuse:
- Get your family member medical care: Addressing any injuries or illnesses you are aware of and checking for any others is crucial for ensuring your loved one’s health and safety.
- Report the abuse: You can report a facility in Wesley Chapel or elsewhere in Pasco County with the Florida Department of Children and Families (DCF) and the Florida Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program. Both can launch investigations into the care provided at your loved one’s nursing home.
- Relocate your family member: If you need help choosing a new nursing home or another care facility for your loved one, our firm has put together a complimentary eBook for this purpose. You can download our free guide to picking the right nursing home to prevent this from happening to your family ever again.
If someone harmed your loved one during their stay at a nursing home, whether it was a staff member, visitor, or another resident, you have a right to take action. Our team is here to help you protect your family and fight for justice.
Call for a Free, No-Obligation Case Evaluation
Our team from the Wesley Chapel office on Flat Iron Loop is eager to get to work on your nursing home abuse case. If a long-term care facility is responsible for the mistreatment or neglect of your loved one, our attorney can act on your family’s behalf and seek compensation. We never collect a fee until we recover money for our clients, so there is no upfront cost to hiring our firm for support.
To learn more about the services at Distasio Law Firm and receive a free case evaluation, call today. You can reach us 24/7 at (813) 259-0022.
Call or text (813) 259-0022 or complete a Free Case Evaluation form
