Has someone you love been a victim of nursing home abuse and neglect in Plant City? If so, we understand that you are probably feeling angry and ready to pursue legal action to hold the at-fault parties responsible for their actions. You may also be feeling overwhelmed and unsure of where to begin.
The team of dedicated injury attorneys at Distasio Law Firm is here to help. We believe that nursing homes should be held responsible for every act of abuse or neglect in order to improve the quality of care for patients in all nursing facilities.
We can help you navigate the complex legal system, avoiding time-consuming and potentially costly errors, and helping you pursue damages for you or your loved one’s injuries. For a free evaluation and to find out what your options are, contact a Plant City nursing home abuse lawyer today.
Common Types of Nursing Home Abuse and Neglect
If you or a loved one has been a victim of abuse, or injured due to neglect in a Florida Nursing Home, call Distasio Law Firm today.
There are many types of abuse and neglect that can occur in a nursing home facility. Some examples of the different types of abuse your loved one may have suffered from include:
Physical Abuse
Physical abuse occurs when the senior has been physically harmed, under circumstances that include slapping, hitting, or pushing. Sometimes the abuse is coming from a nursing home employee. Other times the abuse is coming from another resident. Either way, the nursing home has a duty to institute measures to help prevent physical abuse from happening, investigate claims of physical abuse, ensure if it does happen, that it does not happen again.
Signs of physical abuse include:
- Broken bones and fractures
- Unexplained bruising, cuts, or lacerations
- Sudden changes in personality or behavior
- The resident acting fearful of a caregiver or another resident.
Emotional Abuse
This type of abuse often includes insulting or threats against your loved one, using intimidation, isolation, or harassment to diminish the individual’s self-worth. Emotional abuse may also include isolating the senior from his or her family.
Neglect
This occurs when the caregiver does not provide for the senior’s needs to the degree that he or she is harmed, or when they are left alone without an alternative plan for their care in the absence of proper supervision. It can also occur when the senior is being deprived of essential needs like water, food, or medical attention.
Signs of nursing home neglect include:
- Medically avoidable pressure sores (also called bed sores)
- Repeated falling without a plan to address how to prevent future falls
- Medication errors (giving the wrong medicine, the wrong dose of medicine, or giving no medicine at all)
Sexual Abuse
Sexual abuse in nursing homes usually occurs when the senior is forced to watch or take part in sexual acts. The perpetrator can be either a nursing home staff member or another resident.
If one of your loved ones has been the victim of nursing home abuse or neglect, contact one of the compassionate Plant City attorneys at Distasio Law Firm today for a free, no-obligation review of your case.
Most Common Signs of Abuse
There are often signs that your loved one is being or has been abused. Some of the more common signs are that they:
- Have difficulty sleeping
- Appear depressed or confused
- Show signs of trauma, such as rocking back and forth in their chair
- Suddenly drop weight for no apparent reason
- Become unexplainably violent or agitated
- Become unusually withdrawn
- Stop participating in activities that they had always enjoyed
- Show signs of physical abuse, such as cuts, bruises, burns, or scars
- Appear as though they have not been taken care of, with unwashed hair or dirty clothes
- Have bedsores and other conditions that could have been prevented with proper care
We are dedicated to serving our Plant City elders and pursuing justice from those that harmed them.
Damages You May Be Entitled to Receive
While we can never estimate the damages you may recover without first reviewing your case, our well-practiced Plant City lawyers have worked on cases like yours before and can share some types of awards victims recover after cases of nursing home abuse. They include awards to cover:
- Medical expenses
- Property damage
- Pain and suffering
- Reduced quality of life
- Out of pocket costs
If your loved one died because of the abuse that he or she sustained in a nursing home, you may be entitled to damages through a wrongful death lawsuit, which can include:
- Pain and suffering
- Funeral and burial costs
- Loss of consortium
- Medical expenses associated with the victim’s care
We know a financial award could never replace your loved one, but it could help alleviate some financial pressure you might be under.
Punitive Damages
While uncommon, in some cases, the courts will award punitive damages because of the defendant’s grossly negligent behavior. Often sizeable, these damages are awarded not to compensate the victim, but to punish the defendant for his or her behavior and discourage others from behaving in a similar manner.
How a Plant City Nursing Home Abuse Attorney Can Help
We understand how painful and shocking it can be to find out that someone you love has been abused or neglected by their caregiver, the person who was trusted to see to their needs. We understand how angry you probably are right now.
We are here to help you hold that person responsible to the fullest extent of your loved one’s, and your injuries. We can help by:
- Gathering evidence such as police reports, medical records, witness statements, surveillance video, and photographs of the injuries.
- Obtaining medical bills and receipts, as well as any other documents that show the financial losses that your loved one or your family has suffered due to abuse and neglect.
- Calculating the value of your family’s losses, including the cost of your loved one’s and your pain and suffering, to determine what a fair settlement would look like for your family.
- Negotiating with the at-fault party’s lawyers or the insurance company to recover damages to the fullest extent of their injuries.
- Pursuing compensation at trial if an agreeable settlement cannot be reached.
To have us get started on your case right away, contact a Plant City nursing home abuse lawyer at Distasio Law Firm now.
