Douglasville Nursing Home Abuse Lawyer
Nursing home facilities in Douglasville are supposed to provide a safe environment for their residents. However, understaffed and poorly supervised care facilities can result in staff members abusing and neglecting their residents. Mistreatment in nursing homes can lead to physical, mental, and emotional trauma and leave the resident’s family members confused and fearful for their loved one’s safety.
While many staff members genuinely care about the welfare of their residents, a Douglasville nursing home abuse lawyer could help individuals take legal action when abuse does occur. By holding the facility’s administration and staff accountable for their misconduct, abused residents and their loved ones may obtain the compensation and closure they deserve. A dedicated personal injury attorney could work with your family to help get your peace of mind.
Forms Nursing Home Mistreatment
When nursing homes are understaffed, they may fail to investigate potential employees properly before hiring them. As a result, the care facility is at risk of hiring someone who may commit abusive or neglectful acts against their residents. Some forms of mistreatment that may result in a viable claim include:
- Physically beating, torturing, or sexually assaulting residents
- Yelling, berating, or verbally abusing residents
- Taking the possessions of residents by force or deception
- Neglecting to provide residents with necessary medical care or attention
- Refusing to provide residents with clean and sanitary living conditions
Residents who have experienced abuse may need medical and psychological care on top of new living arrangements. An experienced Douglasville nursing home abuse lawyer could offer legal support as abused residents and their families attempt to move forward.
Nursing Home Abuse Lawsuit Process
A civil lawsuit filed against an abuser can be an effective way for the aggrieved resident to secure financial compensation. The process begins with the resident filing a petition in the county superior court. The defendants named in the petition may include the abusive employee, their manager, and the administrators or owners of the nursing home.
From there, settlement negotiations may begin. One or more defendants may offer to settle the resident’s case by providing a sum of money as compensation. Claimants should speak with a Douglasville nursing home abuse attorney about any settlement offer they receive before they accept an offer. This could ensure that the claimant accepts an offer that is adequate and fair.
If the parties do not settle during negotiations, the case is likely to proceed to trial. At trial, the claimant must prove that the defendants caused or contributed to the resident’s abuse by either committing abusive acts or failing to take precautions to prevent such behavior from occurring. Even if one defendant did not abuse the resident themselves, this individual may still be legally responsible if they owed a duty to the resident and negligently failed to fulfill that duty.
Contact a Douglasville Nursing Home Abuse Attorney
Discovering that your loved one experienced abuse or neglect in their care facility can be disheartening. However, you do not have to go through this difficult time alone. Speak to a Douglasville nursing home abuse lawyer to learn how they could help you take legal action against your elderly loved one’s abuser. To get started on your claim, call today.
