Nursing Home Injury Lawyers in Elgin, Illinois
When you place your elderly loved one in a nursing home, you do so trusting in the staff to provide them with the care needed. That’s why nursing home accidents seem so horrible. That trust is broken. When that occurs, you need an experienced attorney to represent you. Don’t simply accept the nursing home’s apology. It’s important for injured patients and their loved ones to pursue these cases to prevent others from suffering the same fate. If you don’t speak up, others may be injured.
There are a number of different state regulations and statutes that are designed specifically to provide remedies for those injured due to accidental injuries, abuse, or neglect that occur in nursing homes or assisted living facilities.
Why Nursing Home Injuries Occur
Nursing home cases may include everything from accidental injury to willful abuse or neglect. Victims or their families may recover compensation for their injuries, and sometimes may also recover punitive damages, and even attorney’s fees.
Why do these injuries occur? There are a number of different reasons:
- The staff fails to realize a resident is malnourished or dehydrated.
- The staff doesn’t provide adequate assistance to residents who need help walking or standing.
- The facility hires staff who aren’t qualified, and thus provide substandard care.
- A member of the staff physically or sexually abuses residents.
- The facility fails to maintain adequate records, causing residents to receive the wrong medication, incorrect dosages, or meals containing foods they need to avoid.
Other types of injuries and abuse can also occur. Residents may develop bedsores, suffer from broken bones, or suffer from other injuries. Some place the blame on the increased number of corporations who are opening nursing homes. These companies are often motivated by profit rather than providing quality care to their residents. Nursing homes frequently have small staffs, and many pay less than the industry average. This can result in employees who lack experience or positive work habits and ethics.
Signs Your Loved One has been Neglected or Abused
There are many different signs of abuse or neglect in nursing home facilities. Because there are so many different ways an elderly resident can be neglected or abused, it can be hard to spot these signs. Some of these signs may appear instantly, while others may appear more gradually. You may not even notice these signs at first.
Here are some of the more common signs of nursing home neglect and/or abuse:
- The resident withdraws from others.
- He or she doesn’t eat as much.
- The resident loses a significant amount of weight.
- The facility is dirty.
- Your loved one shows changes in behavior.
Get Legal Help
If you see any of these signs or believe your loved one has been neglected or abused, you need to take action as soon as possible. First ensure that your loved one is safe and not in danger of sustaining further injuries, and then seek legal advice immediately. Lawyers who are familiar with the statutes and regulations governing nursing home care can evaluate your case and advise you on how to proceed.
Trust Your Assisted Living Care Injury Case To Our Dedicated Firm
If you or a loved one has been the victim of inadequate or negligent care in a nursing home or medical facility, please call us toll free at 888-695-9822 or use our online form to contact an Elgin, Illinois, lawyer at Bingham Law. Our firm serves clients with nursing home injury cases throughout Elgin and surrounding town, areas and counties.