Discovering that a loved one may be experiencing abuse or neglect in a nursing home is deeply troubling. You might feel overwhelmed, angry, and uncertain about how to protect them. The best first step is to hire an experienced La Plata nursing home abuse lawyer.
At Jenner Law, we understand the gravity of these situations and are here to offer the compassionate legal support you need. Our La Plata personal injury lawyers are dedicated to seeking justice for your family member and ensuring that their rights are respected. Call our injury law firm today for a free consultation.
You Only Have Three Years to File a Nursing Home Abuse Lawsuit
When you suspect nursing home abuse, time is of the essence. Each state has its own filing deadline as dictated by the state’s personal injury statute of limitations, which dictates how long you have to file a lawsuit.
Maryland law gives you three years from the date you discover the abuse to take legal action (Md. Cts. & Jud. Proc. Code § 5-101).
This limited window underscores the importance of contacting a nursing home abuse lawyer swiftly to protect your loved one’s rights and well-being. Our legal team is ready to help you meet all deadlines and ensure that your case is filed promptly.
For a free legal consultation with a nursing home abuse lawyer call,
(888) 585-2188
How Our Nursing Home Abuse Attorneys in La Plata Can Help
At Jenner Law, our commitment is to you and your family. Our nursing home abuse attorneys serving La Plata bring decades of experience to your case. We combine deep legal knowledge with a compassionate understanding of the challenges you face.
We work hard to hold abusers and careless facilities responsible. We use our skills and experience to build a strong case for you. Our approach to every case is personalized, because we know that each situation is unique. By focusing on your individual needs, we ensure that the strategy we develop is tailored to your family’s circumstances.
Our team helps you every step of the way. We gather evidence, negotiate with care facilities, and represent you in court. We can review staffing records to identify the party that neglected their duty of care to your loved one.
You Don’t Pay Us Anything Upfront for Our Legal Help
We know that you don’t need any more expenses or surprises when attempting to recover compensation through a nursing home abuse claim. That’s why, when you work with us, you don’t pay any upfront fee to retain our services, nor are you billed at an hourly rate. Instead, we work on a contingency-fee basis, which means our fees depend on the outcome of your case.
You only pay us for our services if we secure compensation for you and your family. This policy allows you to pursue justice without the added stress of immediate legal fees, ensuring that your focus remains on the well-being of your loved one. If you don’t collect compensation, you owe us nothing.
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Common Types of Elder Abuse
Nursing home residents can be subject to various forms of abuse in nursing home facilities that are each harmful in their own way. It’s crucial to recognize the type of abuse your loved one has sustained to protect them against further harm. Common forms of assisted living facility abuse include:
- Physical abuse: Physical abuse is any physical contact that intends to do harm. This includes biting, pinching, punching, kicking, hitting, slapping, burning, unnecessary restraints, and a refusal to give a resident food, water, or medicine.
- Emotional abuse: Emotional abuse is conduct that intends to do emotional harm. Emotional abuse can include isolating, humiliating, threatening, or harassing a resident. Psychological abuse and mental abuse also belong in this category.
- Sexual abuse: Sexual abuse is any non-consensual sexual contact, such as forced nudity, non-consensual touching, rape, or forcing a resident to watch pornography.
- Financial abuse: Financial exploitation is taking advantage of an older adult’s vulnerability and stealing their money or getting them to change a will or power of attorney.
- Neglect: Nursing home neglect can be intentional or unintentional. Examples include failing to give residents their food, water, or medication, failing to change bed sheets, failing to regularly move patients to avoid bedsores, and accidentally isolating residents.
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What Signs of Nursing Home Abuse Should I Look Out For?
Recognizing the signs of nursing home abuse is crucial for ensuring the safety and well-being of your loved ones. Unfortunately, nursing home abuse often goes unnoticed because older people may be unable or unwilling to report it.
To help ensure nursing home employees and others treat your loved one properly, you should look for several signs when you visit a care facility.
- Unexplained injuries, including bruises, broken bones, cuts, or other nursing home injuries
- Repeated accidents or recurring emergency room visits, even when staff provide explanations
- Noticeable weight loss, dehydration, or other indications of poor nutrition
- Sudden personality changes, anxiety, depression, or social withdrawal
- Reluctance to interact with or visible fear of a particular staff member
- Staff members who discourage or prevent private conversations with your loved one
- Poor personal hygiene, grooming, dirty clothing, or an unclean living environment
- Pressure ulcers (bed sores) or other signs that basic care needs are being neglected
- Unexplained bank withdrawals, missing funds, or suspicious financial activity
- Unexpected revisions to estate planning documents, such as a will, trust, or power of attorney
If you notice any of these warning signs, you need to take them seriously. Our personal injury attorneys and paralegals can evaluate the available evidence. They can investigate whether abuse or elder neglect has occurred and can help you understand your legal options.
Our team has also received specialized trauma-informed and cognitive interview training through the Center of Hope. This training allows us to communicate with vulnerable victims in a compassionate and effective manner.
What to Do If You Think Your Loved One Is Being Abused
If you suspect that your loved one is a victim of nursing home abuse, taking immediate and informed action is crucial for protecting them. Here’s a step-by-step guide to ensure that you respond effectively:
- Document the evidence: Keep a detailed record of all signs and instances of abuse. This includes taking photographs of any physical injuries, documenting your loved one’s accounts of abuse, and noting any sudden changes in their financial situation or emotional well-being.
- Talk to your loved one: If possible, speak directly with your loved one about your concerns. It’s important to do this in a safe and private setting where they can feel secure to express themselves openly.
- Report to the facility: Inform the nursing home administration about your concerns. They are required by law to investigate and address complaints of abuse.
- Contact the Maryland long–term care ombudsman: The ombudsman program is designed to advocate for residents of nursing homes, board and care homes, assisted living facilities, and similar adult care facilities. They provide a valuable resource for addressing concerns about the quality of care or treatment from any long-term care facility.
- Call a nursing home abuse attorney: An attorney can provide guidance on how to proceed safely and legally, ensuring the protection of your loved one’s rights and well-being. Our nursing home abuse lawyers in La Plata can help offer the support needed to hold the responsible parties accountable.
Taking these steps can help protect your loved one from further harm and ensure that those responsible for the abuse are held accountable.
Compensation That May Be Available Through a Nursing Home Abuse Lawsuit
If your loved one has suffered abuse while in a nursing home, you can pursue a wide range of compensatory damages through a personal injury lawsuit. Damages commonly recovered in these cases include:
- Medical bills
- Future medical expenses
- Permanent disability
- Scarring or disfigurement
- Pain and suffering
- Mental anguish
- Emotional distress
- Diminished quality of life
In addition to compensatory damages, punitive damages may be available in certain cases. For punitive damages to apply, the liable party must have acted with the intention of causing harm or been grossly negligent.
If the abuse results in the death of your loved one, you can pursue a wrongful death claim to recover additional damages, including funeral and burial costs.
Learn More About What Our Nursing Home Abuse Lawyers Serving La Plata Can Do for Your Loved One
At Jenner Law, we are not just attorneys; we are advocates for the vulnerable and the wronged. If you suspect nursing home abuse, do not hesitate to seek help. With over 70 years of combined legal experience, we are ready to help with your case. Since founding our firm, we have recovered hundreds of millions of dollars for those we represent.
Contact us today to take the first step towards peace of mind and safety for your family member. Reach out by phone or email to schedule a free case evaluation with an experienced nursing home abuse attorney.
Call or text (888) 585-2188 or complete a Free Case Evaluation form