Georgetown Nursing Home Abuse Lawyer
Long-term care residents rely exclusively on nursing home owners for all their health and safety needs. If these owners let these residents down, the Georgetown nursing home abuse lawyer at the Stanley Law Group obtain the compensation these victims and their families need and deserve.
Significantly, abuse and neglect are not the same thing. Neglect is an unintentional injury. Examples include lack-of-supervision injuries, such as bedsores and resident-on-resident assaults. The tortfeasor (negligent actor) intends the conduct, but not the result. Assault is an intentional tort. The actor intends the conduct as well as the result. More on these injuries below.
Nursing home abuse matters are more complex than neglect matters. It is more difficult to hold the nursing home owner financially responsible for damages in abuse cases. Furthermore, these owners fight these cases tenaciously, usually because they have a brand to protect. On top of everything else, an out-of-state or offshore conglomerate usually owns the long-term care facility at issue.
Georgetown Nursing Home Abuse Lawyers and Abuse Injuries
Most nursing home residents have pre-existing physical, mental, emotional, or other health conditions. Therefore, a slight amount of force in any area could cause a serious injury. Examples include:
- Sexual: These incidents usually cause physical as well as emotional injuries. The type of sexual assault varies. Many unscrupulous workers force residents to watch pornography or witness sex acts. Other times, the sexual assault is physical, and the resident is the victim.
- Verbal: Many nursing home workers become frustrated and say things like “No one loves you.” Worker frustration is understandable, mostly because so many facilities are so severely understaffed. Nevertheless, a verbal abuse stress outlet is completely unacceptable.
- Physical: A frustration push or shove does not hurt most people. But when a worker pushes or shoves a resident, that physical force usually causes serious injuries, such as head injuries and broken bones.
While individuals commit such acts, the nursing home owner could be financially responsible for damages in these cases under one of three scenarios.
Due to understaffing concerns, many nursing homes are desperate for workers. As a result, during the hiring process, they do not ask too many questions about worker competency. That incompetency might be a prior dismissal at another facility or a lack of professional qualifications (e.g. a licensed vocational nurse doing a registered nurse’s job). If that person is incompetent, and that person causes injury, the negligent hiring rule could apply.
Negligent supervision is a related concept. Owners have a duty to monitor their employees. If misconduct allegations arise, they must quickly, thoroughly, and transparently investigate these allegations. Then, they must discipline the worker according to the investigation’s conclusions, and nothing else.
What You Can Do About Nursing Home Abuse
Nursing home owners have a responsibility to prevent abuse. Friends and loved ones often have the ability to prevent abuse.
Somewhere around 15 percent of nursing home residents experience some form of abuse. So, if a resident complains about abuse, believe that complaint. It may very well be exaggerated, but it’s usually at least somewhat true.
Next, report the incident to the nursing home administrator, compliance officer, or other responsible person. Document the report. Then, give the nursing home a chance to investigate the report and do the right thing.
If the nursing home drags its feet or refuses to adequately address the problem, contact a Georgetown nursing home abuse lawyer. Additionally, if the outcome includes a financial settlement offer, a lawyer should evaluate that offer and determine if it is fair.
Reach Out to a Diligent Georgetown County Lawyer
Injury victims are entitled to substantial compensation. For a free consultation with an experienced Georgetown nursing home abuse lawyer, contact the Stanley Law Group. We routinely handle matters throughout the Palmetto State.
