Have you or a loved one suffered an injury from abuse or neglect in a nursing home? Nursing homes in Las Vegas, NV are subject to strict regulations.
If your family member was abused, an experienced Las Vegas nursing home abuse lawyer at Battle Born Injury Lawyers can help you fight to recover compensation for medical bills, pain and suffering, and any other damages you’ve suffered.
Our lawyers have over 85 years of combined experience defending the rights of injured clients. Our dedication and skills have helped us recover over $100 million in settlements and verdicts.
Your family deserves protection. Call our law offices in Las Vegas, Nevada at (702) 570-9000 to schedule a free consultation and learn more about how we’ll stand up and fight for you.
How Battle Born Injury Lawyers Can Help With a Nursing Home Abuse Claim in Las Vegas
You trusted the nursing home to care for your loved one. After making that difficult choice, it can be extremely traumatic to find out that your loved one has been abused or received substandard care in a Nevada nursing home.
At Battle Born Injury Lawyers, our personal injury lawyers in Las Vegas are passionate about helping injured clients seek justice. Our lawyers have been rated by Super Lawyers and earned a perfect-10 Avvo rating. We’ve also received the Avvo Clients’ Choice Award.
Trusting us to pursue compensation on your behalf means you’ll have a lawyer to:
- Gather the evidence you’ll need to prove your case
- Identify all parties who are financially responsible for your damages
- Hire experts and specialists to establish causation
- Calculate the dollar value of your personal injury claim
- Force the insurance company to take your case seriously
- Negotiate to recover the maximum compensation available
With a skilled Las Vegas personal injury attorney by your side, your chances of recovering fair compensation improve significantly. You can learn more about our team by calling for a free case evaluation today.
How Common is Nursing Home Abuse in Las Vegas?
Nursing home abuse and neglect are all-too-common. When it comes to nursing home abuse, Nevada ranks 34th in the nation.
There are more than 15,000 licensed care facilities in the United States. Unfortunately, about 121,000 deficiencies have been identified among those nursing homes. In Nevada, a recent study identified about 13.52 deficiencies per facility.
Data does very little to shed light on how common nursing home abuse is. Many cases are never reported–and while deficiencies may increase the risk of abuse, they aren’t conclusive evidence that abuse is happening.
What is My Las Vegas Nursing Home Abuse Case Worth?
The value of your nursing home abuse case will depend on many factors, including:
- The nature of the harm involved
- Whether you will suffer any permanent impairments
- The emotional distress and mental trauma you’ve endured
- The type and cost of medical treatment made necessary because of the abuse
- The cost of transferring to a new facility and other out-of-pocket expenses
- Whether liability has been clearly established
It can be a challenge to establish the value of any personal injury case. To recover fair compensation, you’ll probably have to file an insurance claim. The insurance company, while sympathetic, will likely try to downplay the severity of the damage to avoid paying the full compensation you deserve.
What Types of Damages Are Available to Victims of Nursing Home Abuse?
Like any car accident victim, a victim of nursing home abuse can seek damages for economic losses and non-economic losses.
You may be entitled to compensation for:
- Medical expenses and rehabilitation
- The cost of relocating to a safer nursing home
- The cost of providing in-home assistance
- Your lost wages and income
- Restitution in cases involving financial exploitation
- Depression, anxiety, and emotional distress
- Pain and suffering
- Humiliation and shame
- Damages for wrongful death
You may also be entitled to punitive damages. Punitive damages are designed solely to punish the responsible party for gross negligence or intentional wrongdoing.
We Handle All Types of Nursing Home Abuse Cases in Las Vegas, NV
Physical violence and abuse should never be tolerated. It’s even more shocking when the victim is a vulnerable resident in an assisted living facility. However, it’s also important to remember that nursing home abuse can take many different forms. The perpetrator may be a nursing home employee, visitor, or another nursing home resident.
Whether your loved one was subject to physical abuse or abused in some other way, our lawyers in Las Vegas are here to help.
Some of the common types of nursing home abuse include:
Physical Abuse
Of course, punching, kicking, and slapping are all forms of direct physical abuse. Residents can also be physically abused by improper use of restraints.
Sexual Abuse
Sexual abuse is also shockingly common in nursing homes. Sexual abuse can include outright sexual assault or rape. It can also involve unwanted touching or sexual harassment.
Emotional Abuse
Nursing home residents can be subject to emotional abuse in the form of:
- Threats and intimidation
- Name-calling
- Forced isolation
- Harassment
- Humiliation or embarrassment
Emotional and psychological abuse can be particularly difficult to detect–but it can be just as damaging as other types of abuse.
Financial Exploitation
Nursing home residents are particularly prone to financial abuse.
Financial exploitation can take many forms, including:
- Outright theft
- Credit card fraud, including opening new credit cards in your loved one’s name
- Coercing your loved one to change their will or beneficiary designations
- Forging your loved one’s signature
If you believe nursing home employees are taking advantage of your family member, don’t hesitate to reach out for legal advice today.
Nursing Home Neglect
Nursing home neglect can be as dangerous as intentional abuse. Often, nursing homes are understaffed. Neglected nursing home residents often don’t get the care or supervision they need.
Nursing home neglect can include failure to provide proper medical care or medications, failure to provide sanitary conditions, or allowing bed sores to develop.
Signs of Nursing Home Abuse
Unfortunately, it’s often difficult for nursing home residents to speak up and report the abuse. Some victims suffer from memory problems and may not remember whether they reported the abuse. Others are humiliated and ashamed.
Here are some signs to watch for if you suspect your loved one is being victimized:
- Unexplained injuries or bruising
- Repeated falls
- Changes in personality, including depression or becoming withdrawn and uncommunicative
- Unexplained weight loss, which could be a sign of malnutrition
- Dehydration
- Fear of speaking up when nursing home staff are present
- Nursing home staff refusing to leave you alone with your loved one
- Unexplained financial transactions
- Infections
- Bed sores, which can be a sign of neglect
If you suspect your loved one has been a victim of abuse, you can report the abuse by contacting the Nevada Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program.
Long-Term Consequences of Nursing Home Abuse
Victims of nursing home abuse often suffer from severe physical and emotional damage. Sometimes, the harm causes significant long-term consequences.
Some of those consequences may include:
- Severe depression and fear
- A worsened medical condition
- Development of new medical conditions
- Loss of mobility
- Reduced life expectancy
- Loss of the ability to enjoy life’s activities
- Financial insecurity
Our Las Vegas nursing home abuse attorneys will fight to recover full compensation for all of the damage caused by your abuser. To learn more about the benefits of an attorney-client relationship, call our law firm for a free initial consultation today.
Why Does Nursing Home Abuse Occur in Las Vegas, Nevada?
Some of the leading causes of nursing home abuse include:
- Negligent hiring practices, including failure to screen employees
- Failure to supervise nursing home employees
- Failure to supervise nursing home residents
- Unsanitary conditions
- Understaffing
- Lack of funding
- Poor management
- Medical malpractice
There is no excuse for abuse and neglect. However, it’s important to identify the underlying cause of the abuse to determine who is ultimately responsible for paying your damages.
How Do I Establish Liability for Nursing Home Abuse in Nevada?
If the abuser is identified, they may be facing criminal charges. However, it’s also possible that a third party may be liable if they allowed the abuse to occur. For example, nursing homes that fail to implement policies and procedures designed to prevent abuse may be liable.
Employers can be held responsible for the negligent and wrongful acts of their employees under Nevada law. While the abuser’s acts may have been intentional, the nursing home itself can be held liable for its own negligence.
How Long Do I Have to File a Nursing Home Abuse Lawsuit in Nevada?
The statute of limitations in Nevada is two years. Once you’ve discovered the abuse, you have two years to take legal action. Wait any longer, and you risk losing your right to seek compensation.
Contact a Las Vegas Nursing Home Abuse Lawyer for a Free Consultation
If you or a family member was a victim of nursing home abuse, call Battle Born Injury Lawyers today. An experienced Las Vegas nursing home abuse lawyer will review your case for free and help you understand your legal options.
