Baton Rouge Nursing Home Abuse Lawyer

Baton Rouge Nursing Home Abuse Attorney

The thought of your loved one being harmed or neglected in a place where they are supposed to receive support and care is heartbreaking. At the Knightshead Law Firm, we help families find justice for loved ones abused in nursing homes. We will examine your case, gather evidence and help you reach a desirable outcome. A Baton Rouge nursing home abuse lawyer from our firm is ready to hold negligent parties accountable for their behavior so that it doesn’t happen again.

Speak Up If You See These Signs

If you believe your loved one was abused, you should notify the nursing home’s management. If the problem continues or they fail to acknowledge your concerns, you should consider calling an attorney. If you want to learn more about the laws that protect seniors from abuse and neglect, you can check out important resources like the Elder Justice statutes for prosecutors.

Here are some potential signs of abuse you should watch out for:

• Bedsores – These are the result of inactivity. They could indicate that residents are neglected in their beds without assistance getting up or engaging in activities.
• Unexplained injuries – Falls do happen in nursing homes, but if your loved one has bruises or broken bones with no explanation, keep an eye on your loved one and watch for additional injuries.
• Change in weight – Malnutrition is a problem in too many nursing homes. If you notice your loved one’s weight changes significantly, they may not be getting proper dietary care.
• Emotional changes – This warning sign is more subtle and could be linked to a number of factors. However, if your loved one suddenly becomes distant or withdrawn, or shows other noticeable changes from their usual behavior, something may be wrong. Watch for other signs of abuse and neglect.

Do You Suspect Nursing Home Neglect? Be Sure to Take These Steps

If you suspect your loved one is being subject to nursing home abuse or neglect, it is crucial to take adequate steps so that you can protect their rights and well-being. While each case is unique and has different plans of action available to tackle the problem, general steps you can take to make the situation better include:

• Visit frequently. By regularly visiting your loved one, you can monitor their condition and work to identify if there are any clear signs of neglect or abuse.
• Keep documentation. Be sure to make clear and detailed notes of any observations, such as bruises, complaints, or drastic changes in weight. Document any evidence of wrongdoing and conversations you have with staff. By keeping clear documentation, you can ensure a strong case with sufficient evidence down the line.
• Immediately report your concerns. If you suspect any signs of abuse or neglect, be sure to notify relevant regulatory agencies and management as soon as possible. They can take action to ensure your loved one is not in immediate danger and, if immediate action needs to be taken, can help relocate them.
• Reach out to an experienced nursing home lawyer. By understanding your options, you can protect your loved one and take action against those who are responsible.

Root Causes of Nursing Home Abuse in Baton Rouge, Louisiana

Many individuals wonder how such a horrible thing as nursing home abuse can happen. Unfortunately, abuse in care homes is not uncommon, and it can significantly impact the well-being of elderly folks and their families. Neglect and abuse in nursing home settings is a result of systemic challenges such as:

• Lack of staff. As nursing home care requires significantly hard day-to-day work, many individuals either leave the industry or become disincentivized to enter the industry. Therefore, nursing homes operate with too few individuals on staff, which leaves individual workers overburdened and unable to provide high-quality care.
• Insufficient training. A lack of adequate training can cause the improper handling of residents and lead to instances of neglect. In such cases, nursing home management can be held accountable for not providing the frequent or high-quality training needed to ensure a capable workforce.
• Poor nursing home management. Management has a mandate to enforce certain regulations, and when they fail to comply, they can be held accountable for fostering an environment where nursing home negligence or abuse can occur.
• Frequent turnover of staff. If staff is frequently being cycled through, this can disrupt not only the understanding of who is being adequately trained but also cause people to lose track of each resident’s care. This can lead to inconsistent treatment, which, in some cases, can lead to damaging or even life-threatening mistakes.

By understanding the root causes of your nursing home neglect or abuse case in Baton Rouge or surrounding areas, you can seek to adequately pinpoint who is liable for the situation you’re in. A diligent attorney from Knightshead Law Firm can help you gather the evidence needed to prove liability and hold individuals or organizations accountable for their actions.

Compensation Your Family May Be Entitled to for Nursing Home Abuse

Because cases of nursing home abuse or neglect can be substantially damaging, it is crucial for victims to receive compensation they are entitled to. Although no amount of money can make the situation right, it can seek to hold individuals accountable for their behavior and prevent these devastating acts from happening in the future.

An experienced attorney from our firm can help you understand whether you may be entitled to the following compensation:

• Medical expenses. All medical expenses related to treating injuries or emotional damage that are a result of the abuse—such as psychosocial support and hospital bills—may be covered in a compensation package.
• Pain and suffering. Any physical pain endured as a result of physical injuries from nursing home neglect can be accounted for as non-economic damage in a settlement.
• Emotional distress. In addition to physical injuries, elderly folks who are subject to nursing home abuse can suffer from substantial emotional distress. These non-economic damages can be accounted for using specific calculation techniques, which an experienced attorney from our firm can walk you through to determine the amount you are entitled to.

Non-economic damages may be more difficult to quantify, so you should consult an attorney to ensure your settlement reflects the full extent of damages.

• Cost of relocating. If the victim of nursing home abuse needs to move to another facility to receive care, these expensive costs of relocation can be covered.
• Punitive damages. In cases that involve extreme neglect or egregious behavior, punitive damages may be applied. These payments are meant not to compensate the victim for their damages but rather to increase fees that must be paid as a discouragement to the perpetrator from carrying out the abuse again.

By pursuing compensation, not only can you obtain crucial financial support needed during this difficult time for your family, but you can also send a powerful message to any nursing home abusers, discouraging this kind of wrongful or hurtful behavior. By fighting to keep your family safe, you are working towards keeping elderly residents in the community safer.

How a Baton Rouge Nursing Home Abuse Lawyer Can Help

At Knightshead Law Firm, our skilled legal team understands how much is at stake when it comes to the health and well-being of your loved one. Therefore, we employ a comprehensive legal approach to bringing your loved one’s case to justice. When you work with us, you can rest assured that you will be working with a deeply experienced, knowledgeable, and, most of all, empathetic team who knows how to leverage legal tactics to fight for positive outcomes.

Specifically, we can help you with the following:

• Case investigation. Whether you have noticed that your loved one is underweight or is complaining about abusive behavior, we can launch an in-depth investigation to get to the root of the problem. From analyzing video footage to taking witness statements, we can determine whether your case constitutes legal action and identify potentially liable parties.
• Claim filing. We can assist you with reporting the abuse to the Louisiana Department of Health or any other regulatory agencies that could be relevant to your case. We can ensure that your claim is fully and accurately filled out with ample supporting evidence.
• Negotiations with stakeholders. Depending on the details of your case, you may be able to handle your claim outside of the courtroom. A skilled attorney from our firm can leverage their years of experience settling negotiations, taking on insurance companies and other at-fault parties to come to a just and reasonable settlement on your behalf.
• Litigation. If necessary, we can assist you with taking your case to court. In the courtroom, we can present sound legal arguments to show the nursing home abuse your loved one was subject to and the clear negligent or reckless behavior of the at-fault party that was linked to their suffering.

Ultimately, we work to ensure the nursing home or any responsible parties are held accountable for their actions. Together, we can recover compensation that fully reflects all that you and your family have lost.

Why Work with Knightshead Law Firm?

At Knightshead Law Firm, we understand how emotionally and financially difficult it can be to have your family experience nursing home abuse. During this difficult time, our compassionate team is ready to do what it takes to hold negligent parties accountable and fight for justice in your case. Some benefits of working with us are:

• Proven track record. We have a strong track record of successfully representing families who have been subject to nursing home abuse in Baton Rouge and across Louisiana. This vast experience contributes to each of our cases, giving us the know-how to successfully leverage legal tactics.
• In-depth investigation. When it comes to gathering evidence and building up your case, we leave no stone unturned. We are ready to do whatever it takes, from gathering video and photo evidence to interviewing witnesses. We also work with subject matter experts to strengthen evidence found during investigations.
• Tailored attention. When you work with us, we do not see you as just another case number. A sympathetic attorney from our firm is ready to treat your case with the respect and care it deserves. We strive to ensure that the compensation you receive fully reflects the details of your case and the struggles you are facing.
• No payment upfront. We work on a contingency fee basis, which means that you do not have to pay for our services unless we win your case for you. When it comes to contingency fee payments, we practice transparency, ensuring that you understand fully what your final payout will look like after all legal fees and other costs have been accounted for.

Bring Your Concerns To A Compassionate Lawyer

Your loved one should be safe and comfortable in their nursing home. If they are a victim of elder abuse, we will help you take action to protect them. Contact us online or call 225-388-5265 if you have concerns about their well-being or safety. We are in Baton Rouge and have helped families throughout Louisiana.