When it comes tonursing home abuse, we often imagine staff members intentionally abusing or neglecting residents. However, resident-on-resident abuse incidents have steadily increased in recent years. When such abuse is not properly handled, it can result in severe injuries and evendeath.
AtBrown & Barron, LLC, our Baltimore nursing home abuse attorneys can help you take certain steps to ensure the abuse stops once and for all. We can investigate your case, collect evidence, and help your loved one recover their entitled compensation.
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If you believe your family member is being abused by another resident, we can take legal action against the nursing home staff for neglecting the needs of their residents. Our goal is to protect your loved one and seek financial compensation for your family.
Get in touch with an abuse from another resident lawyer serving Baltimore for afree case evaluation.
Reasons for Abuse
While a significant amount of abuse by other residents is verbal, there are many cases where physical abuse—such as hitting, kicking, scratching, biting, and throwing objects—is evident. Furthermore, sexual assault is also a common problem, since some residents make unwanted sexual advances toward fellow residents or expose themselves.
According to a study published in the Journal of Applied Gerontology, residents with dementia were five times more likely to physically abuse other residents. In addition, residents with severe mental illness were three times more likely to inflict abuse.
Common characteristics of nursing homes that experience resident-on-resident violence include:
- Overcrowding
- Understaffing
- Lack of enforcement by nursing home staff
Nursing home staff must periodically evaluate the psychological health of their residents in order to screen for the likelihood of resident-on-resident abuse. When an incident occurs, staff are required to notify the family members.
However, sometimes facilities will attempt to cover up these incidents by failing to report them. Furthermore, residents may be too afraid to report their peers.
Get in touch with a abuse by nursing home residents lawyer serving Baltimore, 410-547-0202 for a free case evaluation.
How to Handle Suspected Nursing Home Abuse
If you suspect that your loved one is suffering abuse due to another resident, it is important to take action to protect them. Report the abuse to the nursing home administration and make arrangements for your loved one to stay somewhere safe. After making sure your loved one is safe, you can work with a nursing home abuse lawyer. We can explore how to best approach your case.
For example, we can file a police report and begin gathering evidence for your case. You can find out more about how to handle suspected nursing home abuse when you contact our office to discuss the details of your case.
Who to Sue for Abuse by Nursing Home Residents
When nursing home residents are abusing other nursing home residents, it can be difficult to determine who is at fault. Depending on the physical and mental capacity of the abusive nursing home resident, they could face criminal charges and be subjected to the civil lawsuit your family pursues against them.
However, you may be surprised to learn there are other parties who could share liability for the nursing home abuse your loved one endured.Some of these parties could include:
- Nurses
- Nursing assistance
- Nursing home abuse facilitators
- The owner of the nursing home facility
- Other nursing home staff
Nursing home staff has a responsibility to monitor residents and prevent instances of abuse. You can learn more about who should be held accountable for your loved ones’ damages after your attorney has conducted a thorough investigation into your family member’s case.
Contact Brown & Barron onlinetoday to schedule a free case review with a with a abuse by nursing home residents lawyer serving Baltimore.
How to Recover Maximum Compensation for Nursing Home Abuse Damages
Your loved one has the right to be made whole when they have been subjected to abuse. You may begin seeking compensation by filing a claim with the nursing home’s insurance company. Depending on the details of your case, you may have the opportunity to file a personal injury lawsuit against the liable party or other responsible entities.
By filing a personal injury lawsuit, you can seek compensation for all of the ways your family members’ life has been affected by the abuse they suffered.
Some of the different types of economic and non-economic damages they could be compensated for include:
- Nursing home relocation fees
- Medical expenses
- Costs of mental health counseling
- Physical pain and suffering
- Emotional distress
- Diminish quality of life
- Property damages or other financial losses
- Scarring and disfigurement