Nursing home neglect and abuse is far more common than many people realize, impacting thousands upon thousands of individuals every year. The ramifications can be tragic, too, leaving victims with serious injuries and worsened medical conditions, some that are disabling in nature. In the worst cases, nursing home residents die because of abuse or neglect.
If you or your loved one have been affected by nursing home neglect or abuse, then you should think about taking legal action to find accountability, bring dangerous behavior to a stop, and recoup compensation that’s owed for damages suffered. But building a successful claim can be more challenging than it seems. After all, you’re going to go up against an aggressive defense, and there can be several legal issues that crop up during your case that can jeopardize a favorable outcome.
So, what can you do to build the strong and persuasive case that you need? While you might need an attorney to help you with the complexities of your case, there are steps that you can take right now to start building an effective nursing home neglect or nursing home abuse case.
What you can do to start building your nursing home neglect case
Although it can be hard to think about legal action after you or a loved one has been injured at the hands of a negligent or abusive nursing home employee, acting now is the best way to get your case off on the right foot. Here are some steps that you can take now to start building an effective case:
- Keep a written record of what you observe: If you suspect that you’re loved one has been abused or neglected, then you need to create a record of everything that you see and hear. Take pictures of your loved one’s bruises, cuts, and bedsores, and write down anything that you observe that could be indicative of abusive or neglectful behavior.
- Talk to other residents: By talking to others who reside at the nursing home, you may gain greater insight into practices at the nursing home. This can highlight how widespread abuse and neglect are in the facility where your loved one resides. These individuals could testify in your case to help you prove that your loved one was harmed by egregious and preventable behavior.
- Be proactive in asking questions: When you see something suspicious, don’t let it slide. Instead, be proactive in asking nursing home staff questions about the care your loved one has received and the injuries they’ve suffered. Be sure to track what nursing home staff say, that way you can refer back to it if they later try to backtrack on their words.
- Track all losses: Even if you successfully show that your loved one was harmed by abuse or neglect, compensation won’t be recovered unless damages are proven. So, you and your loved one will need to track all damages. Medical records can be especially helpful here.
Don’t skimp on your nursing home neglect case
Your loved one’s health and well-being could be on the line when they’ve been hurt by nursing home abuse or neglect. Taking legal action might be the only way to secure the financial resources needed to spur your loved one’s recovery forward. With so much on the line, then, you need to build a robust and persuasive legal claim. If you need help doing that, then please think about the resources you have at your disposal and where you can turn for assistance.
