Nursing Home Neglect Lawyers in Ohio
All nursing home residents deserve close supervision and medical care as well as protection from harm. If you suspect an elderly loved one is suffering from neglect or abuse in a nursing home, call Rinehardt Injury Attorneys. We are a local law firm led by a team of experienced personal injury attorneys. Our team is available to handle cases of nursing home neglect injuries in Columbus, Mansfield, and the surrounding Ohio areas.
Making the decision to put a loved one in a nursing facility can be difficult for many families. Deciding to forego independence for round-the-clock care is a negotiation that many elderly people must eventually confront. When looking for the right nursing facilities, families want to know that their loved ones are receiving the best care possible. Many nursing facilities have excellent caregivers on staff to make sure that their residents receive excellent attentive care.
Unfortunately, this is not always the case, and when a negligent nursing facility threatens the health and well-being of their residents, they deserve to pay the price. The Ohio nursing home neglect lawyers at Rinehardt Injury Attorneys have fought on behalf of Ohioans for decades, ensuring that they have quality legal advocates to fight for their rights.
Our lawyers understand the toll that nursing home abuse has on Ohio families, and we fight to make sure that subpar nursing facilities answer for their wrongdoings.
Do I Need a Nursing Home Abuse Attorney?
Identifying nursing home abuse can be challenging in some cases. There are some subtle signs that neglected or abused nursing home residents commonly display, and often an attorney can be instrumental in helping families determine if abuse is, in fact, occurring. Experienced legal teams who have fought for neglect victims understand that abuse isn’t just about physical pain, it’s about inattention and not receiving the care that’s needed.
Insurance companies or lawyers who represent the nursing home may pressure families to take a lower settlement than they deserve. Hiring a nursing home neglect attorney can help ensure that families receive a settlement that is fair based on their situation. If you have filed a claim against a nursing home, you should absolutely avoid speaking with any insurance agents representing the facility unless your lawyer is also involved. Speaking with insurance agents without previously consulting with your lawyer or involving them in the conversation may hurt the overall outcome of your case.
When abuse or neglect is happening, taking legal action is a crucial measure to ensure that the nursing facility is forced to correct its behavior. As nice as it would be for negligent facilities to self-correct, it often takes some legal and financial consequences to inspire significant change. Additionally, it’s important to create a record of inadequate care for the facilities who are not fulfilling the services that they advertise. This can help other families in the future as they decide which residence to choose for their loved ones.
Why Choose Us?
The nursing home abuse lawyers at Rinehardt Injury Attorneys lead with compassion and skill. We understand that when clients get in touch with us, they need an advocate. The damage of neglect is often both emotional and physical and we put our experience to work as we fight to hold negligent nursing homes accountable for causing undue pain and suffering to their residents.
Our decades of experience have given us the privilege of working with a variety of families affected by nursing home negligence. Because of this, we understand that while the needs of individuals differ, the painful effects of nursing home neglect hurt many people beyond the family member living in the facility.
In a nursing home neglect case, our legal team won $342,500 for a 90-year-old client who sustained fractures from falling. The elderly need extra attention and special care when their physical and mental faculties require them. Families entrust care facilities with these tasks when they can’t meet these needs. When facilities don’t meet a certain standard of care we are always ready to help those affected.
Nursing Home Neglect Cases We Handle:
Various factors may be to blame when abuse occurs at a nursing facility. Staffing is an incredibly important consideration for nursing homes. Making sure that they are checking the credentials of applicants, hiring qualified upstanding prospects, and providing satisfactory and ongoing training is paramount to providing quality care to residents.
No matter what the exact cause is, residences who fail to enforce quality practices should be held accountable. The following are the most common wrongdoings that nursing establishments are sued for:
- Physical Abuse – Broken bones, muscle sprains, unexplained, or unusual bruising are common signs that your loved one may be experiencing unnecessary roughness and even physical abuse. Additionally, ligature marks on the wrists and ankles can also be signs that violent physical restraint is occurring. Patients being dropped is also a persistent problem.
- Emotional Abuse – Emotional abuse can take the form of verbal, non-verbal, or both. Those who undergo emotional abuse are often depressed and withdrawn.
- Sexual Abuse – Unfortunately, some nursing homes have been charged with sexually abusing residents. When this happens, staff members may force those under their care to engage in improper activities. Victims may have bruising, bloody underwear, and even have contracted STIs.
- Neglect – Victims of neglect may be administered the wrong medication, causing them to re-develop symptoms that were previously managed. They may become ill and develop bedsores when they are not being moved enough. Those who are neglected also stand a much higher risk of fatal choking incidences.
- Financial Exploitation – Nursing home residents are often targeted for their financial assets. Staff members who prey upon them may convince the resident to make changes to their will or other estate documentation. The resident may be coerced into paying staff members or making large purchases.
- Assisted Living Accidents – Assisted living facilities have an obligation to keep their residents safe. When safety measures are overlooked or ignored, residents risk being harmed.
Ohio law gives those affected by nursing home abuse two years to begin pursuing their claim against the negligent party. So, if you suspect that something is happening with your loved one, your instinct may be correct. Make sure that you take action in a timely manner so that you can hold those responsible for the neglect or abuse legally accountable.
Unfortunately, because many family members are unable to witness the abusive or negligent behavior as it occurs, it’s not always obvious when a family member is suffering. To understand if you loved one is experiencing any form of abuse or neglect at the hands of nursing home staff you must first understand the signs.
Your Loved One May Feel Helpless
Nursing home residents are often unable to communicate when the staff is ignoring, mistreating, or abusing them. We can help you protect your vulnerable family member and pursue compensation for the suffering and losses endured because of a nursing home’s negligence. Our legal team of accident attorneys understands the signs and causes of a range of such cases, including:
- Neglect injuries: Unsupervised elderly residents are much more likely to sustain fall injuries and suffer from a broken hip, pressure sores (bedsores), or ulcers. Neglect can also result in dehydration and malnutrition, which can prove fatal. Sometimes, nursing home residents may wander away from the premises, another symptom of neglect and understaffing. Understaffing is not an adequate excuse for your loved one’s suffering.
- Medication errors: Providing elderly people with incorrect medications or doses, or forgetting to give them medications, can result in serious medical consequences.
- Abuse: Nursing home facilities have a duty to protect residents’ safety, and they are responsible for hiring qualified staff. A vulnerable person should never suffer physical abuse or sexual assault because a facility failed to conduct employee background checks.
Though your loved one may feel helpless in such a situation, there are steps you can take to understand what they are going through. One such step is to contact a team of experienced attorneys when you first suspect nursing home negligence or abuse. They can use their knowledge to help you determine what your loved one is going through and help you decide on a plan of action.
Our team is Ready
We assess and investigate signs of nursing home abuse or neglect, as well as other forms of medical malpractice. These are sensitive situations, and you deserve a skilled legal team to help you hold accountable those responsible for the suffering of your loved one. Oversights such as understaffing or failure to conduct background checks are no excuse for the suffering your loved one has endured.
We will sit down with you and develop a strategy to protect your family member and pursue financial recovery. If you suspect your loved one is suffering in a nursing home, take advantage of our free consultations with no obligation. Our lawyers can help you evaluate the situation and help you determine a course of action that’s in the best interest of your loved one.
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Rinehardt Injury Attorneys is the answer to your personal injury. Our team of attorneys and case managers have represented clients in in Columbus and throughout central and north central Ohio for years. We treat every new client as if they were part of our family by providing clear communication, building a strong relationship, and using our experience to provide legal guidance that’s in their best interests. We offer free consultations with no obligation, so don’t hesitate to contact our team about your legal matter.