No one wants to imagine that an elderly family member would receive anything but high-quality and compassionate care inside a nursing home or assisted living facility. Unfortunately, neglect and even outright abuse are far from uncommon in facilities like this. When your loved one is dealing with cognitive decline or some other form of disability, it may fall to you to identify the mistreatment they are experiencing and take legal action on their behalf.
As our experienced personal injury attorneys know, getting a favorable outcome from a civil claim under any circumstances can be legally and emotionally challenging, and it can be especially hard in situations like this. Assistance from a knowledgeable Lakeway nursing home abuse lawyer can make a huge difference in how effectively you can enforce your family member’s legal rights and what kind of compensation you can recover on their behalf for the harm they have already sustained.
Not every instance of neglect or abuse that occurs inside a nursing home or assisted living facility justifies a civil lawsuit. When the mistreatment does not result in any physical injuries bad enough to require professional medical care and is an isolated incident that can be traced back to one particular staff member, it may be possible to resolve the issue by speaking with facility administrators directly.
However, more serious or repeated instances of mistreatment warrant more immediate action, including submitting a report to the Texas Department of Aging and Disability Services by calling (800) 458-9858 and potentially enlisting the help of law enforcement to move the affected resident out of harm’s way. Once this is done, it may be possible to take legal action over specific negligent or abusive acts by filing suit against individual staff members, facility administrators and owners, and sometimes affiliated third parties like doctors contracted to provide care to facility residents. A nursing home abuse attorney in Lakeway can provide custom-tailored guidance about these and other important steps in the filing process during a private initial meeting.
Both economic and non-economic consequences of injuries caused by nursing home misconduct may be factored into an ensuing abuse lawsuit, including past and future losses relative to when the claim begins. Depending on the circumstances, this could mean recovering for short-term and long-term medical bills, various forms of physical and psychological suffering, and potentially other losses—for example, loss of personal assets when a nursing home resident is subjected to financial exploitation.
When a nursing home resident in Lakeway passes away prematurely as a direct result of abuse or neglect, a skilled lawyer can assist surviving family members with pursuing restitution for their own losses through a wrongful death claim. This could mean seeking recovery for things like medical bills, funeral and burial costs, lost companionship and guidance, and emotional anguish, although each claim will be different based on the needs of the unique family involved.
Abuse and neglect of nursing home residents should never be tolerated under any circumstances for any length of time once it is discovered. Unfortunately, even attentive and loving family members of nursing home residents can have a difficult time identifying mistreatment.
Representation from a Lakeway nursing home abuse lawyer may be essential to understanding and making effective use of your family’s rights under civil law. Call today for a consultation.