The Stroudsburg nursing home abuse lawyers at Munley Law Personal Injury Attorneys stand up for seniors who have been mistreated
Realizing that a family member needs to be cared for in a long-term residential healthcare facility is not easy, and when we trust a nursing home with someone we love, we expect that they will be cared for like family. Unfortunately, that is often not the case. A recent study by the Department of Health and Human Services recently found health and safety citations for 91% of nursing homes, and one-fifth of those violations were for the neglect or abuse of residents.
Nursing home abuse, which is a form of elder abuse, is a prevalent and painful problem for families across the United States, including those in Monroe County and the Pocono region. If you have reason to suspect that a resident of a long-term healthcare facility is being abused by staff, doctors, administration, other residents, or visitors, we can help. Call or fill out our online form to arrange a free, confidential consultation with a Stroudsburg nursing home abuse attorney at Munley Law Personal Injury Attorneys.
Nursing home abuse is extremely serious, and requires a serious legal response. The team of board-certified lawyers at Munley Law Personal Injury Attorneys have been winning major victories for injured victims for more than 60 years. We bring decades of experience, a network of experts, and a winning strategy to each nursing home abuse case we handle.
What Constitutes Nursing Home Abuse?
Nursing home abuse can take different forms. Some kinds of abuse will have obvious physical signs, while others are harder to detect. In order to spot and stop it from happening, it is important to understand the different ways that healthcare facility residents may be abused. The five main categories of nursing home abuse are:
- Physical Abuse, including hitting, kicking, punching, slapping, pushing, or otherwise assaulting residents
- Psychological and Emotional Abuse, including scaring, mocking, chastising, intimidating, berating, ignoring, confusing, manipulating, or controlling residents
- Sexual Abuse, including non-consensual sexual contact perpetrated by nursing home staff, other residents, or visitors
- Financial Abuse, including stealing money or belongings and forcing or manipulating residents into signing documents or making financial decisions
- Neglect, including improperly administering medications, depriving residents of food or water, and failing to adequately bathe, change, or perform provide help with necessary hygiene
Who is responsible when nursing home abuse occurs?
Abuse, neglect, and injury can be inflicted by a number of different individuals your loved one interacts with at their nursing home care facility. However, the facility itself (its owners, management, and leadership) bears ultimate responsibility for protecting their residents. The person who hurt your loved one does not necessarily have to be a nursing home employee in order for you to hold the nursing home responsible. While the facility is liable for the actions of their staff, they also have a duty to provide a safe environment which includes protection from other residents and visitors.
In addition to recognizing the various types of nursing home abuse, it is also important to keep a close watch on the most common perpetrators of violence against long-term healthcare facility residents.
- Nursing Home Staff, Including Medical Staff
- Nursing Home Administration
- Other Residents
- Guests of the Facility, Including Family Members of Residents
Many nursing home residents suffer from impairments that prohibit or limit their abilities to defend themselves or seek help. Pay close attention to interactions and look out for strange behavior when someone you love is around another person who falls into one of these categories. Ask follow up questions, take notes, document anything that seems suspicious, and report any abuse you discover.
How Can a Stroudsburg Nursing Home Abuse Lawyer Help?
If you suspect a beloved nursing home resident is being abused, you may be confused or conflicted about what action to take. Nursing home abuse lawyers can help with the following:
- Obtaining Information: Many long-term residential healthcare facilities intentionally implement policies that make it very difficult to obtain information and documents. When a nursing home resident exhibits signs of abuse, you may be told wildly different accounts of what happened by other residents, staff, administration, insurance companies, and medical workers. Knowing who to talk to, how to get information, what the problem is, and how it can be resolved may feel like a complex maze with no outlet. A good nursing home attorney can help navigate these complexities. By bringing a thorough understanding of how these intricate healthcare systems interact and where problems often hide, your lawyer should be able to quickly identify the issues impacting your loved one's care and efficiently and permanently implement solutions.
- Understanding Federal and State Elder Abuse Laws and Nursing Home Regulations: Trying to understand the dense web of state and federal regulations governing elder abuse and healthcare facilities can also present major challenges. Laws vary by jurisdiction and new court decisions and legislation are constantly emerging. An experienced and savvy attorney can help you to understand the rights and options you and your loved one have in the state where you reside.
- Building and Filing a Claim: Often times, when a nursing home resident is being abused, the best course of action for obtaining justice is to file a legal claim. Our Nursing Home Abuse Team at Munley has over 60 years of experience fighting these cases to win for our clients. We understand what medical records and documents you will need in order to build a successful case. We have won millions for victims in courthouses across Pennsylvania.
- Negotiating a Settlement: While not every case is right for settlement negotiations, when done correctly, settlements are often advantageous. Settlements can allow victims to more quickly obtain the awards they deserve while avoiding the time, expense, and stress of a trial. However, you only want an experienced lawyer, who truly understands the law, your case, and the healthcare facility and insurance company players to be representing you.
- Preparing for Trial and Convincing a Jury Why Your Loved One Deserves Justice: When settlement is not an option, you'll need a legal team who knows how to take a nursing home abuse case to trial and win. At Munley Law Personal Injury Attorneys, our lawyers have decades of real courtroom experience and real courtroom results.
Are You Worried That Someone That You Love Is Being Abused at a Nursing Home?
If your loved one suffered an injury or illness caused by nursing home neglect or abuse, we won't let your family be silenced. Our Nursing Home Abuse Team is ready to fight the corporate healthcare and insurance companies to get the justice you and your loved one deserve. If we don't win for you, our legal services are free, and you'll never pay a penny out of pocket while we fight your case.
Call Munley Law Personal Injury Attorneys to schedule a free consultation today.
Munley Law Personal Injury Attorneys
27 N 6th St,
Stroudsburg, PA 18360
(570) 338-4494
