There is no excuse for mistreating elderly or disabled patients in any form. Yetone in six people aged 60 and older experience elder abuse worldwide, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). If you or your loved one was a victim in Catonsville, contact a Catonsville nursing home & neglect attorney from Brown & Barron LLC for help.
You No Longer Have to Suffer Nursing Home Abuse and Neglect in Silence
If you or your loved one has experienced elder abuse or neglect in a nursing home, you need help now. Involving family, police, and a lawyer can make a difference in your situation. The government is slowlyimproving standards for care. In the meantime, a Catonsville nursing home abuse & neglect attorney will fight for the compensation you deserve and hold the abusive or negligent party accountable for their egregious actions. Contact Brown & Barron LLC for a free case review.
Get in touch with a nursing home abuse lawyer serving Catonsville, 410-547-0202 for a free case evaluation.
Pursuing Compensation for Abuse and Neglect in a Nursing Home
Something must be done when someone is abused or neglected by the very people in charge of their care. In addition to criminal charges, those who perpetrate such behavior can be held accountable through civil action.
Recoverable Damages in Your Nursing Home Case
The state of Maryland empowers victims of nursing home neglect and abuse to seek damages against the party who caused them harm. Damages are the monetary compensation that injured victims receive for their losses and injuries caused by someone else. The liable party can be held responsible for damages that include:
- Emergency room visits
- Prescription drug costs
- Physical rehabilitation expenses
- Accessibility modifications expenses
- Homecare expenses
- Physical pain
- Current and future medical expenses
- Cost of medical equipment and devices
- Emotional or psychological pain (grief, fear, depression, PTSD, etc.)
- Diminished quality of life
- Reduced enjoyment of life
Recognizing Forms of Abuse and Neglect Against the Elderly
Elder abuse can take many forms. The National Center for Elder Abuse (NCEA)classifies seven types of elder abuse that can occur inside or outside of nursing homes. Understanding the types of abuse can help you identify possible signs of abuse in your loved one or recognize your own abusive experiences.
The seven types of elder abuse are:
- Punching
- Kicking
- Pushing and shoving
- Pinching
- Slapping
- Burning
- Shaking
- Physically restraining
- Force-feeding
Physical Abuse
Physical abuse is the use of physical force that results in bodily injury. This could include physical pain or impairment. Physical abuse is not limited to actions intended to inflict pain but also includes things like restraining and forcing the victim to do something.Examples of physical abuse are:
Sexual Abuse
Any non-consensual sexual contact or conduct with another person is sexual abuse. The use of violence is not required.It includes:
- Rape
- Unwanted touching or fondling
- Sodomy
- Forced or coerced nudity
- Sexually explicit photos
- Voyeurism
- Forced viewing of sexually explicit material
Emotional or Psychological Abuse
The use of verbal and nonverbal acts to inflict anguish, distress, or pain is emotional and psychological abuse. This type of elder abuse may manifest itself as:
- Threats
- Intimation
- Humiliation
- Insults or demeaning comments
- Verbal assaults (shouting, screaming, berating)
- Isolating an older adult from social groups
- Teasing
- Harassing
- Giving the silent treatment
- Gaslighting
Neglect
Neglect is the failure to fulfill your obligations to another by either act or refusal. In elderly abuse cases, this usually means that someone has failed to provide the care that the elderly person required. This includes depriving the victim of essentials, such as:
- Food
- Water
- Shelter
- Comfort
- Clothing or proper clothing
- Medicine
- Help with personal hygiene
- Safety
Abandonment
It is considered abandonment when an elderly person has been deserted by the person who assumed responsibility for their care. Abandonment includes:
- Deserting an elderly person in a public place
- Leaving them home alone and not returning
Financial or Material Abuse or Exploitation
Financial or material exploitation is the unauthorized or improper use or taking of an elder’s money, property, or assets. This includes:
- Stealing an elder’s money or possessions
- Cashing checks or using credit cards without authorization
- Forging signatures
- Coercing or tricking the signing of documents
- Abuse of conservatorship
- Coercing them to change their will
Self-neglect
An elderly person whose behavior threatens their safety and health is practicing self-neglect. For example, they may refuse or fail to provide essential services such as food, water, hygiene clothing, or medication. Self-neglect refers to elderly people who are not mentally competent.
Contact Brown & Barron LLC online today to schedule a free case review with a with a nursing home abuse lawyer serving Catonsville.
Our Firm Focuses on Nursing Home Abuse and Neglect Cases in Maryland
A Catonsville nursing home abuse and neglect lawyer at our firm can help you file a claim against the nursing home, adult care facility, or assisted living facility that allowed or inflicted injury upon you. We have years of legal experience fighting for the most vulnerable citizens in our community. Our firm concentrates on medical malpractice and nursing home abuse and neglect cases.
When we take on your case, we fight for your rights by:
- Performing a detailed investigation into the conditions of the treatment at the nursing home or other care facility
- Collecting evidence of fault
- Determining who is financially responsible
- Collecting photos, videos, audio recordings, medical records, witness testimonies, and other evidence of injuries
- Assessing the injuries and losses through bills, receipts, expert testimony, and other viable sources to value your claim
- Communicating with the liable insurance companies and defending parties
- Filing an insurance claim
- Filing a lawsuit in court, if necessary
- Preparing for trial
- Providing timely updates on your case
Bringing Results to Injured Victims in Maryland
Our case results in medical malpractice and nursing home abuse and neglect cases speak to our dedication to our clients. We have secured numerous multi-million-dollar settlements and judgments for clients who have put their trust in us.
Some highlights of our case victories are listed below:
- $500,000 for a client who sustained injuries due to a fall at a nursing home
- $600,000 for a nursing home neglect client
A nursing abuse and neglect lawyer at our firm will work diligently to bring results that meet your needs and provide what you deserve.