Can a Nursing Home Get Away with Abusing My Loved One in Columbia, South Carolina?

January 15, 2019

Over the years, nursing homes have become more popular. It’s not like it was decades ago when people thought putting your parents in a nursing home was an awful thing to do. Because of this, there are more nursing homes and assisted living facilities than ever before. This also means that some people who don’t really care about helping people have taken jobs in healthcare.

When you choose a nursing home for your mom or dad, you spend a lot of time doing your research. You want to make sure that the place they’re going to live has a good reputation. You want the facility to be clean and comfortable for your loved one.

So, what do you do when things go wrong? If you learn that your loved one has become a victim of nursing home abuse, it can be heartbreaking. You’re going to want to turn to an experienced nursing home abuse attorney to get you justice.

What Can a Nursing Home Abuse Attorney Do to Help?

If your loved one is the victim of nursing home abuse, a lawyer can help. Your nursing home abuse attorney will take action to make sure the nursing home pays. Your loved one is entitled to compensation for their injuries. And the nursing home needs to be punished for what it has done.

Some of the most common types of nursing home abuse include:

Physical Abuse – Sadly, some people actually physically harm their elderly patients. This can be anything from broken bones to cuts and bruises. Sometimes the abuse isn’t intentional. However, no matter the reason, the nursing home needs to be held accountable.
Emotional Abuse – If a caretaker yells and screams at their patients, they can be liable for emotional abuse. This type of abuse may also involve degradation and name calling.
Neglect – If a nurse or aide doesn’t take proper care of their patients, they can end up with injuries and illnesses. A common injury caused by neglect is bedsores. Bedsores make up some of the most common lawsuits.
Sexual Abuse – Although this is not very common, it does happen. The abuse can be at the hands of employees or fellow residents. It is the nursing home’s job to make sure other residents don’t hurt or take advantage of your loved one.
Financial Abuse – Sadly, a lot of healthcare workers take advantage of their patients. If a nurse or aide steals from your loved one, they need to be held responsible.

Regardless of the type of abuse, you need to call a lawyer so you can get your family justice.

How do Nursing Home Lawyers Deal with Defenses Claimed by the Facility?

If you file a claim or lawsuit against a nursing home, they’re not going to just pay it out. Chances are, they’re going to claim that they aren’t responsible for your loved one’s injuries. Some of the common defenses alleged in nursing home abuse cases include:

Self-Defense – Just because your loved one is elderly, the nursing home may still claim self-defense. If they claim that your parent was attacking them at the time of the abuse, they may have a legitimate defense. The problem is whether or not they can prove it. Most of their witnesses are going to work for the facility. Your lawyer will express as much in court. He’ll point out how biased the opinions of employees may be in a nursing home abuse case.
Lack of Intent – A nursing home may claim that your loved one’s injuries were the result of an accident. They may say that despite their best efforts, he or she got hurt. This defense is pretty weak and your nursing home lawyer should be able to defeat it.
An act committed by third party – The nursing home’s attorney may claim that someone other than an employee caused the injuries. They may say it was a family member or friend. Or they’ll claim the injuries took place somewhere other than the nursing home.

Regardless of the defense raised, your nursing home lawyer will do his best to get you justice.

Contact a Nursing Home Abuse Attorney in Columbia Today

If you or your loved one have been the victim of abuse, you need to contact a nursing home abuse lawyer in Columbia today. Your family is entitled to compensation. Depending on how serious the injuries were, these damages may be quite high.

Call and schedule your free initial consultation today. Let an experienced attorney handle your case while you focus on taking care of your loved one.