Nursing Home Neglect Lawyer | Elder Neglect Attorneys (2023)

Benefits of Working With a Nursing Home Neglect Lawyer

There are many reasons why nursing home neglect lawyers are helpful for those injured in long-term care facilities.

Nursing homes and their staff members must provide high-quality care to all residents. Unfortunately, facilities neglect the needs of elderly residents in far too many cases. Accounts of older people suffering serious injuries or dying from nursing home abuse or neglect make headlines every year.

Thankfully, skilled nursing home abuse attorneys can help you access financial aid if a neglectful nursing home harmed your family member. Past victims of abuse and neglect have received millions of dollars with the help of nursing home neglect lawyers.

While each case is different, and there are no guarantees, you may be able to get a financial payout with the help of a nursing home neglect attorney.

The best attorney for nursing home neglect will:

• Charge no upfront fees
• Document and help gather evidence (such as medical records, bills, and witness testimonies)
• File a nursing home neglect lawsuit on your behalf within set deadlines
• Pursue the most amount of compensation possible for your case
• Reduce the extra stress that may come with taking legal action

Don’t delay: get a free case review now to see if you can work with a nursing home neglect lawyer. An experienced lawyer for nursing home neglect will fight to get the justice and compensation you deserve.

Nursing Home Neglect Explained

Nursing home neglect occurs when an assisted living facility or its staff members make mistakes that harm residents or fail to meet an acceptable level of care.

Even if the neglect was due to staffing issues or a lack of proper training, when a loved one is harmed, on-staff caregivers may be considered abusers. Thankfully, an attorney for nursing home neglect may be able to help you and your family get justice.

“Nursing home neglect provides the basis for an elder abuse lawsuit, enabling the victim or surviving family members of the victim to recover compensation for losses.”

— Forbes

Examples of nursing home neglect include:

• Failing to provide specialized care, such as dementia care or diabetic care
• Failing to recognize warning signs of patient distress, such as ignoring calls for help
• Medical malpractice, such as misdiagnosing conditions or not taking proper medical action
• Medication errors, such as giving the wrong medication or dosage
• Not calling 911 during an emergency, such as falls in nursing homes, fractures, or broken bones
• Not repositioning residents with mobility issues, ultimately leading to stage 4 bedsores
• Poor hygiene caused by not bathing or changing residents’ clothes and bedsheets

Nursing home neglect is not the same thing as nursing home abuse. In cases of abuse, staff members intentionally​​ hurt residents through physical injuries, sexual battery, financial exploitation, or emotional torment.

Types of nursing home abuse include:

• Financial abuse
• Physical abuse
• Psychological abuse (also called emotional abuse)
• Sexual abuse

Both nursing home neglect and abuse can have tragic consequences, even leading to wrongful death in some cases. An experienced nursing home neglect attorney can help victims pursue compensation.

Why Do I Need a Lawyer for Nursing Home Neglect?

Nursing home neglect lawyers can make the legal process easier for you and your family.

Skilled lawyers know how to properly build a legal case that explains how your loved one was injured and why the nursing home is responsible for the neglect. Lawyers may be able to help clients access supporting documents like medical records and other key pieces of evidence.

Further, the legal system is vast and complex. A simple mistake could cause your case to be delayed or even rejected without the help of a skilled nursing home neglect attorney. Top nursing home neglect lawyers know when and where to file your lawsuit.

Also, every state has time limits on filing lawsuits called statutes of limitations. Even if you have a very strong case, you will never be able to file a lawsuit if the statute of limitations passes. Nursing home neglect lawyers understand the statutes of limitations and can help you file your case before time runs out.

For all these reasons and more, it’s often in your best interest to file your lawsuit with the help of a nursing home neglect lawyer.

Types of Nursing Home Neglect Cases Lawyers Handle

An experienced nursing home neglect attorney can handle various cases related to nursing home neglect. Learn about some of the most common types below.

Physical Neglect

Nursing home neglect can cause an older person’s physical health to deteriorate rapidly. For example, a resident with mobility issues can quickly develop bedsores if nursing home staff members do not regularly reposition them.

Serious falls may also be considered a form of physical nursing home neglect. Staff members are trained to help older residents who have trouble walking. While preventing a fall may not always be possible, repeated falls could mean the staff is less attentive than required.

An older woman’s family filed a lawsuit after she fell 20 times in a nursing home and died from her injuries. The nursing home paid a $1 million legal settlement.

Emotional Neglect

Emotional neglect can occur if a nursing home prevents residents from interacting with others, like fellow residents or loved ones. For example, a facility that struggles with understaffing may leave a resident who uses a wheelchair in their room all day.

Emotional neglect can have a significant impact on older adults. They may become irritable, depressed, or anxious. These negative emotions can also be amplified when nursing home neglect occurs, as residents may already be in pain due to preexisting conditions and/or too isolated to ask for help or report issues.

Neglect of Medical Needs

Nursing home residents may have chronic or serious health problems that need diligent attention. If nursing home staff members fail to quickly address the medical needs of residents, the consequences could be deadly.

Residents are also at a higher risk of serious infections while living in nursing homes. Nursing home residents are more likely to develop infections that lead to sepsis. Severe cases of sepsis can cause septic shock, which can sadly result in death for already frail residents.

You may be able to take legal action for other cases of elder neglect and abuse not listed above. Get a free case review to see if you can work with a nursing home neglect lawyer.

Choosing a Nursing Home Neglect Lawyer

Hiring a general personal injury lawyer for a nursing home neglect lawsuit may not be the best option for families. You can work with a top nursing home neglect attorney with the right experience, resources, and ethical standards to make the legal process as easy as possible.

See some traits the best personal injury lawyers for nursing home neglect have below.

Experience

Check to make sure the lawyer you want to work with has handled elder abuse cases in the past. Attorneys with experience in this practice area will be able to build on their existing knowledge to help strengthen your case.

General attorneys may not know how to properly represent your case or help you get the most compensation possible.

No Upfront Fees

The best nursing home neglect attorneys work on what is known as a contingency fee basis. This means they will not charge any upfront fees to work with them. Instead, they take a percentage of the overall earnings they secure for you.

Be wary of attorneys that charge upfront fees for their services. If they are unable to secure compensation for you, you could actually end up with less money than when you started.

Work With a Nursing Home Neglect Lawyer

It’s important to explore your legal options if nursing home neglect harmed you or a loved one. Thankfully, we can help you connect with top nursing home neglect lawyers if you qualify.

These lawyers can build a legal claim that shows how elder abuse and neglect harmed your loved one and file it within the statute of limitations. They will also work to secure the most financial compensation possible in your case.

Get a free consultation to see if you can work with a nursing home neglect lawyer right now.