Florida Nursing Home Abuse Lawyers at The Eberst Law Firm
When you begin living at a nursing home, you put your faith in the caretakers there to give you a safe, healthy time in your twilight years. However, there have been examples of these caretakers doing the opposite, causing physical and emotional harm to the people under their care. This harm can result in physical injuries and emotional trauma with expensive damages, such as medical bills, therapy costs, and pain and suffering.
By filing a nursing home abuse claim, you can hold a caretaker liable for negligent or intentionally harmful behavior that caused damages. The Stuart personal injury lawyers at The Eberst Law Firm have decades of experience helping nursing home abuse victims recover compensation for the full cost of their damages and can do the same for you.
Why Choose The Eberst Law Firm for Your Nursing Home Abuse Lawsuit?
Whether you were the victim of nursing home abuse or a family member looking for justice for nursing home abuse, you need someone in your corner with experience in nursing home abuse claims. At The Eberst Law Firm, our goal is to earn you fair compensation for the harm caused by the negligence of the nursing home caretaker. We accomplish this by offering personalized attention catered to the specifics of your case.
At The Eberst Firm, we have experience in negotiating with insurance companies and can use that experience to put you in the best position to recover fair compensation for your damages. Allow us to provide relief from the stress of your nursing home abuse claim, so you can focus on your recovery. Contact The Eberst Law Firm today for a free consultation to learn how we can help with your nursing home abuse claim.
What is Nursing Home Abuse?
Nursing home abuse is any type of harm caused to residents in long-term care facilities. Any negligent or intentionally harmful behavior that results in harm to a nursing home resident is considered nursing abuse and can cause severe injuries and damages.
According to the World Health Organization, about 15.7% of older adults in nursing homes reported some type of abuse in 2017. Around one in six older adults suffers abuse in community settings, with that number potentially increasing with the number of older people also rising. If you were the victim of intentionally harmful or negligent behavior at a nursing home that caused damages, you should contact a nursing home abuse attorney to see what your options are for pursuing compensation.
Types of Nursing Home Abuse
There are many types of abuse an older person can suffer from at a nursing home. Some of these abuses result from intentionally harmful behavior, such as being physically struck, verbal abuse, or direct sexual assault. Some of the behavior can result from negligence, such as being neglected, mistakes in giving medication, or poor hiring practices that result in unfit people being in charge of taking care of elderly people.
The following are some of the types of nursing home abuse an elderly person can suffer from:
- Physical abuse
- Emotional abuse
- Sexual abuse
- Financial exploitation
- Neglect
- Negligent hiring
- Dangerous premises
- Unsanitary living conditions
- Lack of adequate medical supervision
Some of the signs that can indicate you suffered from nursing home abuse include physical injuries, scars, bruises, fear of staff members, social or emotional withdrawal, or insufficient funds in your bank account. Report any incident of nursing home abuse and contact a nursing home abuse lawyer to begin the process of pursuing compensation for your damages.
Injuries That Can Result From Nursing Home Abuse
All of the above types of nursing home abuse can cause injuries that result in significant damages. These physical and emotional injuries can cause intense pain, failure of body parts, and long-term suffering.
The following are some of the injuries that nursing home abuse can cause:
- Traumatic brain injuries
- Broken bones
- Back injuries
- Pelvic injuries
- Bedsores
- Burns
- Depression
- Anxiety
- Malnutrition or dehydration
If you suffered one of the above injuries, you could file a nursing home abuse claim to pursue compensation to pay for damages. The injuries can result in medical bills, pain and suffering, and therapy costs that a negligent staff member could be liable for in a nursing home abuse lawsuit.
Filing a Nursing Home Abuse Lawsuit
Nursing home staff members owe residents a duty of care, which means they are responsible for the safety, well-being, and health of the residents of the nursing home. Any negligent or intentionally harmful behavior that results in damages breaches that duty of care and can leave the nursing home staff member liable.
A nursing home abuse attorney can help you file a nursing home abuse lawsuit if your damages resulted from negligent or intentionally harmful behavior, including:
- Failure to keep the premises safe
- Negligent supervision
- Unsanitary living conditions
- Failure to provide adequate medical care
- Negligent hiring practices
You must prove that the staff member owed you a duty of care, breached it through nursing home abuse, and caused your injuries as a result. A nursing home abuse lawyer can help you collect evidence to prove the at-fault party’s liability, which can include video evidence, medical records of your injuries, witness statements, etc.
Damages in a Nursing Home Abuse Lawsuit
You can pursue damages, which are the losses associated with the harm done to you, by filing a nursing home abuse lawsuit. These damages can include those that you have already suffered and those a nursing home abuse lawyer can calculate you will suffer in the future.
There are two common types of damages you can pursue in a nursing home abuse claim: economic and non-economic. Economic damages are those with a monetary value attached to them and include medical bills, therapy costs, funeral costs, etc. Non-economic damages are those without a specific monetary value and encompass how your life has negatively been changed due to the harm caused by nursing home abuse. They can include pain and suffering, loss of society, loss of enjoyment of life, mental anguish, etc.
How Can a Nursing Home Abuse Lawyer Help With Your Lawsuit?
Handling a nursing home abuse claim independently can lead to mistakes that can affect your ability to recover full compensation due to your inexperience with nursing home abuse claims. Hiring a lawyer to handle your nursing home abuse can help, as they have the experience and expertise necessary to process the claim correctly.
Negotiating a settlement with an insurance company representing the at-fault party can be difficult as they can employ insurance adjusters to find information to limit your settlement. They can also offer lowball early settlements that may seem appealing but won’t pay for the full cost of your damages. A nursing home abuse lawyer can see through an insurance company’s attempts to keep it profits up and handle the claim in a way that maximizes your potential compensation.
The following are some of the ways a nursing home abuse lawyer can help with your claim:
- Assess your damages
- Determine the liable party
- Send out the demand letter
- Collect evidence
- Interview witnesses
- Speak to experts
- Collect vital records
- Represent you in court
Contact The Eberst Law Firm for Help With Your Nursing Home Abuse Lawsuit
At The Eberst Law Firm, we understand the stress of nursing home abuse, with someone you put your trust in causing significant harm. Our experience with nursing home abuse claims puts us in a position to understand your struggles, as we have worked with other victims that have suffered similar injuries and damages. Allow us to use our nursing home abuse claim experience to process your claim properly and put you in a position to recover full compensation for your nursing home abuse damages.
If you suffered nursing home abuse, contact The Eberst Law Firm, P.A. for a free consultation. We can be reached by calling 772-225-4900 or by leaving a message on our online contact page.
