Gwinnett County Nursing Home Abuse Lawyer

Once a family makes the difficult decision to allow nursing home physicians and staff to care for their loved one, an expectation exists that their loved one will receive adequate care at all times. Often, however, nursing homes are understaffed, and the individuals who work there are over-worked. Several forms of abuse and neglect can result from the negligence of nursing care facilities or their staff.

If you or a family member has suffered abuse in a nursing home, a personal injury attorney may help you consider the next steps in the legal process. Contact a Gwinnett County nursing home abuse lawyer for an evaluation of your claim if you suspect that a nursing home’s negligence caused you or your loved one’s injuries.

Recoverable Damages in an Elder Abuse Case

Victims of nursing home abuse may require surgery, physical therapy, or rehabilitation to recover from their injuries. They may also experience mental, emotional, or physical suffering, all of which could influence the compensation amount.

If the nursing home in a particular case deviated from the standard of care, thereby causing the patient’s injuries, the facility could be liable for damages. Individuals who have sustained injuries due to a nursing home physician or staff’s negligence often seek compensation for:

• Past and future medical costs
• Disability
• Emotional distress
• Pain and suffering

A nursing home abuse lawyer in Peachtree Corners may be able to gather documentation to support an individual’s claim of abuse or neglect. It may also be important to consider whether the conduct involved in the incident warrants punitive damages. Typically, punitive damages are only appropriate in cases involving particularly egregious behavior. An experienced nursing home abuse attorney could walk an injured party through the role of punitive damages in their particular case.

Litigation Process

Although a Peachtree Corners nursing home abuse attorney could resolve an individual’s claim by settlement, a lawsuit may be necessary in certain cases. To preserve the right to recover damages, an individual generally must file a lawsuit within a certain period of time, known as the state of limitations. In Georgia, victims usually have two years to file a nursing home abuse lawsuit, but there may be exceptions. It could be beneficial to discuss the filing deadline in a particular case with a Gwinnett County nursing home abuse attorney.

It may also be in an individual’s best interest to begin building their case as soon as possible rather than waiting until the deadline approaches. Gathering evidence such as medical records, bills, and videos before filing a lawsuit can take weeks or months. It may also be easier to locate witnesses and evidence soon after the incident occurred rather than months or years later.

Contact a Gwinnett County Nursing Home Abuse Attorney Today

Nursing home staff and physicians have a duty to provide adequate care to their patients, including monitoring and providing proper nutrition. When a nursing home fails in their duty of care and injuries occur as a result of their negligence, they should be held accountable for their actions.

Discovering that a loved one has suffered abuse in a nursing home is a difficult realization, whether it occurred once or over a period of time. Fortunately, an experienced personal injury attorney could pursue compensation from the responsible parties. Contact a Gwinnett County nursing home abuse lawyer today to discuss your case.