Representing Victims of Nursing Home Abuse and Neglect in Baltimore, MD

Millions of Americans trust nursing homes and assisted living facilities to provide compassionate, skilled care for their elderly or incapacitated loved ones. Unfortunately, all too many nursing home patients suffer abuse and neglect at the hands of those charged with their safety and care. If you believe that your elderly loved one has suffered abuse of any kind in a nursing home, it is essential to remove them from the dangerous situation as quickly as possible. Then, contact an experienced personal injury attorney to discuss your options for legal recourse. 

Every state in the US upholds unique laws concerning elder abuse, and both state and federal governments have created regulations pertaining to the nursing home industry. All nursing homes must carefully vet and train their employees and follow up on all reports of abuse or neglect immediately in good faith. When your loved one in Maryland has suffered any type of nursing home abuse or neglect, the attorneys at Peter Angelos Law can assist your family in holding the responsible parties accountable for their actions. 

Common Examples of Nursing Home Abuse and Neglect

Unfortunately, there are many ways nursing home residents can experience abuse and neglect. Peter Angelos Law has years of experience handling difficult cases demonstrating diverse types of nursing home abuse, including: 

Physical abuse

Some nursing home residents are struck or otherwise physically abused by caretakers. If you notice that your elderly loved one living in a nursing home has occasional unexplained injuries or seems fearful of staff, this could be a warning sign that they have suffered abuse from their caretakers.

Falls

Nursing homes have an obligation to provide a safe environment for their residents.  This includes maintaining requisite fall protocols and precautions so that residents can avoid unnecessary and preventable injuries.  Oftentimes, nursing facilities fail to ensure that beds are maintained in low position, bed rails are appropriately raised, fall risk patients are properly identified as such, and that special mats are placed on the floor to prevent injury.  There are several more procedures that must be followed to ensure that life-threatening falls do not occur.

Neglect

Unfortunately, some nursing homes do not enforce appropriate care standards for their residents. Common cases of neglect involve a loved one reporting that staff have forgotten to serve meals, refused to clean their clothes and bedding, or failed to provide the daily care they need. These situations could constitute neglect if they have had an adverse effect on your loved one’s health.

Psychological abuse

Many elderly individuals suffer from neurodegenerative and psychological conditions, and nursing homes should provide a safe place to experience memory and mental health care. If nursing home staff have tormented your loved one or caused additional psychological harm, you have grounds for a personal injury claim against them for intentional infliction of emotional distress and elder abuse.

Financial exploitation

Nursing home staff may steal from your loved one or use their personal information to commit fraud. When this occurs, the parties responsible may not only face civil liability for your loved one’s damages, but also criminal prosecution for identity theft.

Unacceptable sanitation

Nursing homes must enforce strict cleanliness protocols. If you notice that your loved one’s nursing home facility is dirty, poorly maintained, or experiencing outbreaks of contagious illness, they are likely receiving substandard care.

Bedsores

Bedridden nursing home patients need to be moved frequently so they do not develop bedsores. If your loved one has developed bedsores, or if bedsores appear to be worsening, the cause may be neglect on the part of nursing home staff. 

This is not an exhaustive list of the nursing home abuse and neglect your loved one may have suffered at the hands of those charged with their care. It is critical to remain vigilant while your loved one is in any type of care facility and address any issues as soon as possible. If a neglectful or abusive situation does arise, secure proper legal representation immediately if you intend to pursue legal recourse against those responsible. 

How Can an Attorney Help Me?

Hiring an experienced personal injury attorney is one of the best things you can do in response to discovering your elderly loved one has suffered nursing home abuse or neglect. An experienced attorney can help you gather the evidence you will need to file your complaint and assist you in exploring every possible avenue of compensation available in your case. Peter Angelos Law has years of experience handling difficult nursing home abuse and neglect cases, and we can put our experience and resources to work for you. 

You may need to secure eyewitness testimony from other residents of your loved one’s nursing home, and you may require additional physical evidence to substantiate your claims. It will also be necessary to provide the court with a full accounting of your claimable damages. Peter Angelos Law has successfully secured billions of dollars in compensation for past clients, and we strive to assist our clients in maximizing recovery in every case we accept. 

Contact a Baltimore, MD Personal Injury Attorney

It is natural to feel upset, frustrated, and uncertain when you are confronted with a case of nursing home abuse. We can help you direct your energy towards holding the responsible parties accountable and will provide the professional legal advice, guidance, and support you and your family need during this challenging time. Get answers to your most important Maryland state-wide legal questions for free by contacting Peter Angelos Law and scheduling a consultation with our team.