You want your family members to feel safe at a nursing home, but they may be subject to abuse. In this situation, a Mesquite nursing home abuse lawyer may be able to help you out. A Mesquite personal injury lawyer may be able to file a claim against any at-fault parties.
At H&P Law, we help nursing home abuse victims in any way we can. We can take a look at your case and go over your legal options with you. For more information, contact us today.
Abuse Definition
A person may suffer abuse if someone else acts in a manner that is cruel, violent, or harmful toward them. There are many forms of elder abuse, neglect, and exploitation. These include:
- Emotional: Occurs when a party uses insults, threats, or other verbal or non-verbal acts to cause a senior to suffer emotional pain or anguish.
- Financial: Involves the theft or unauthorized use of a senior’s money or other financial resources.
- Physical: Occurs when someone hits, pushes, or does anything else to physically harm a senior.
- Sexual: Refers to abuse in which a party engages in non-consensual sexual contact with an elder.
If you believe a family member residing in a nursing home is the victim of abuse, notify the authorities. From here, you may want to consult with a nursing home abuse lawyer in Mesquite. You may then be able to put an end to your family member’s abuse and seek damages from anyone who caused it.
Signs of Nursing Home Abuse
It may be difficult to spot the signs of elder abuse. Those who know about the different forms of abuse are better equipped than others to see if a family member is being abused in an assisted living facility. There are several signs that indicate a senior may be the victim of abuse, such as:
- They withdraw from social activities and other things that they previously enjoyed.
- They are increasingly depressed and sad.
- They are dealing with unexplained burns, bruises, and other injuries.
- They experience bed sores or other preventable conditions.
Elder abuse is a problem that will not disappear on its own. At the first signs of abuse of a family member residing in an assisted living facility, get help. In addition to going to the authorities, you may want to meet with a nursing home abuse attorney in Mesquite who can help you determine who is responsible for the abuse.
What to Do if You Suspect Nursing Home Abuse
You expect a nursing home facility to provide your family member with exceptional care and support. If you have concerns facility personnel are not doing this, you are within your legal rights to take action. Here are things you can do to deal with suspected abuse in an assisted living facility:
- Ask staff members and management about possible abuse.
- Discuss the situation with your family member.
- Take photos and videos of your family member’s injuries and take notes regarding other potential signs of abuse.
If you are concerned your family member is in imminent danger, call the police. You can also notify the Nevada Department of Health & Human Services Aging and Disability Services Division to report vulnerable adult abuse. By taking action as soon as you can, you may be able to protect your family member against nursing home abuse moving forward.
Nursing Home Abuse Liability
In an assisted living facility, staff members are responsible for taking care of residents. If a staffer is abusing a resident, they may be held accountable for their actions. Along with this, the facility may be liable.
A nursing home abuse attorney in Mesquite can evaluate your case and help you identify any at-fault parties. They may look at things like when the abuse was first reported, how long it has been happening, and other factors relating to your case. The Mesquite nursing home abuse lawyer can then work with you to submit a claim against any liable parties.
The Nevada statute of limitations for filing a claim against someone who causes a personal injury is two years. At H&P Law, we can help you submit your claim before your statute of limitations for doing so expires. To learn more, reach out to us.
Proving Abuse
Your Mesquite nursing home abuse attorney can help you understand the burden of proof in a Nevada personal injury case. They may work with you to collect an abundance of evidence that makes it clear your family member was abused in a nursing home. Proof you may be able to use in your case includes:
- Your family member’s financial records
- Photos and videos of injuries your family member has suffered
- Medical records
- Witness statements
It is your responsibility to show an at-fault party was negligent. This requires you to prove a liable party had a legal obligation to take care of your family member and chose not to do so. Also, you must show your family member got hurt due to the party’s actions and is facing economic and non-economic losses as a result.
The Cost of Nursing Home Abuse
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), approximately one in six people over the age of 60 said they experienced some form of abuse in a community setting in a given year. Abuse can impact a victim physically, emotionally, and psychologically. In an assisted living abuse case, an attorney will account for the victim’s losses and help this individual pursue damages accordingly.
You may ask for economic and non-economic compensation in an elder abuse case. Economic damages may be awarded for medical bills and other quantifiable harm. Non-economic compensation may be provided for pain and other subjective losses.
A Mesquite nursing home abuse attorney may ask questions relating to nursing home abuse your family member has suffered, and they may do so to gather information they can use to support their case. It may be challenging to deal with the toll of knowing that a family member was victimized by nursing home staff or other negligent parties. With help from a nursing home abuse lawyer in Mesquite, you can protect your family member from future harmful acts and make sure anyone who let the abuse happen in the first place is held responsible.
Get Legal Help with a Nursing Home Abuse Claim
There is no excuse for abuse in a nursing home or anywhere else. At H&P Law, we can help you pursue the most damages possible from anyone liable for abuse your family member has suffered in an assisted living facility. To request a free and confidential case evaluation, contact us today.
