When you're badly injured, the last thing you want to think about is filling out paperwork, searching for an attorney, or trying to gather evidence. Yet, these steps are necessary if you want to collect the compensation you deserve due to someone else's negligence. The more you know about personal injury cases and hiring an attorney, the less stressful this time will be.
We've created this website to offer basic personal injury law advice for anyone who has been injured or who may become injured in the future. Keep in mind that if you've been injured in a car accident, due to medical neglect, or even by slipping in someone else's parking lot, your case qualifies a personal injury case — and thus you'll find our collection of articles relevant.
While you would hope that the nursing home would never be the source of pain and suffering for them, you have to be on alert at all times. Even some of the best nursing homes can end up with a few rotten apples as employees and if those employees have access to your aging loved one, there is a chance that they will be mistreated and abused. This is why it is crucial to make sure that you are aware of some of the warning signs that you should keep an eye out for. Signs that indicate that it might be time to retain an attorney that specializes in elder abuse law include:
1. Your Loved One Has Unexplained Bruises
The occasional bruise here to there might not be anything to worry about. After all, many elderly people bruise a lot easier as they get older so a light bump to their hip that they hit against the corner of a table they were trying to get up from is normal. Also, if your loved one has to get a lot of blood drawn or receive medication through injections, they can end up with some bruising at the site where the needle entered the skin. Other than that, if you start to notice bruises that cannot be explained away and they are becoming more frequent, you may want to talk with an attorney.
2. Your Loved One Displays a Level of Fear
If you get the feeling that your elderly loved one is afraid of some or all of the staff at the nursing home, you need to ask why. Remember that some abused elderly are threatened with more abuse if they talk about it, so you cannot simply count on him or her straight out telling you about what they are going through. You might need to simply examine their behavior around staff and read between the lines.
If you suspect that there is any sort of abuse happening, even if it is just verbal abuse, you will need to contact a nursing home abuse attorney right away. The sooner you take legal action, the sooner you can get to the bottom of what is going on and provide a safer environment for your loved one. You can have your loved one moved to another home during the investigation and any legal action that follows. This way, they will not have to worry about retaliation.