North Carolina Nursing Home Negligence Lawyers
Get the Dedicated, Powerful Legal Representation You Need
The thought of abuse and neglect taking place in nursing homes—the very place where elderly residents go to receive care—is horrifying for most people to imagine. However, the sad truth is that nursing home abuse and negligence is disturbingly common in the United States.
If you believe you or your loved one is the victim of nursing home abuse or neglect, contact the proper authorities right away. Depending on the circumstances, this might be a director at the facility or even local law enforcement. Next, reach out to an experienced North Carolina nursing home negligence attorney who can help you take legal action against the liable parties.
At Lanier Law Group, we have been aggressively advocating for victims since 1997; we are the legal heavyweights you want in your corner.
Why You Need an Attorney
Nursing home doctors, nursing assistants, and staff members have a responsibility to provide proper care for their residents. When they fail to do so, the situation is similar to when medical professionals fail to uphold the standard duty of care. Victims and their loved ones have the right to seek justice and fair compensation for their damages including pain and suffering, medical bills, lost income, emotional distress, and more.
However, recovering this compensation is not usually an easy task. Having an experienced North Carolina nursing home negligence attorney on your side can make all the difference in your case.
The attorneys at our firm can help you by:
- Immediately notifying authorities that you or your loved one is being mistreated/abused
- Gathering evidence to determine who is to blame/liable
- Putting together necessary documents, including medical records, to support your claim
- Filing a lawsuit on your behalf and representing you during legal proceedings
We offer all our legal services on a contingency fee basis, meaning there are no upfront costs for you when you work with our team. Instead, our attorneys’ fees are paid as a percentage of your total recovery. In other words, in the unlikely event that we do not recover compensation in your case, you do not pay anything.
Filing a Nursing Home Neglect Lawsuit on Behalf of Your Loved One
There are several situations in which a family member may be permitted to bring a lawsuit on behalf of a loved one who has suffered nursing home abuse or neglect:
- A victim’s attorney-in-fact or agent designated in a valid power of attorney may be able to retain an attorney and file suit on his or her behalf if the terms of the power of attorney permit it.
- If the victim has not given power of attorney to anyone, a family member may try to be declared as his or her guardian, and may then take legal action on his or her behalf.
- If the victim has since passed away, the personal representative of his or her estate may file a suit on behalf of the deceased’s legal heirs. This is true even if the victim’s death was not due to the abuse or neglect that precipitated the lawsuit.
While money can never truly compensate your loved one for the pain and humiliation he or she may have experienced, a settlement or judgment obtained with help from an experienced attorney who handles nursing home abuse and neglect cases in North Carolina may help pay for better facilities and could ultimately better your loved one’s quality of life.
Types of Nursing Home Abuse & Neglect
Nursing home abuse and neglect takes many forms. It is important that you are aware of all these types of nursing home abuse/neglect so that you can identify the signs that something is going on and help put an immediate stop to it.
Some of the most common types of nursing home abuse and negligence include:
- Physical abuse (hitting, pinching, kicking, etc.)
- Mental and emotional abuse
- Sexual abuse
- Financial abuse or fraud
If your loved one has developed bedsores, slipped and fell, or has unexplained bruises or other injuries, he or she may be the victim of nursing home abuse.
The same is true if you’ve noticed unusual changes to your loved one’s will or strange withdrawals from a checking account. Sudden changes in behavior or mood may also indicate a problem.
Identifying Signs of Nursing Home Abuse & Neglect
If you are concerned that a loved one is the victim of nursing home neglect or abuse, there are certain signs you can look out for. While some signs of abuse and neglect are easy to spot, others go unnoticed by family and friends for far too long.
The following are common types of abuse and signs to look out for:
- Emotional abuse – Be on the lookout for your loved one seeming withdrawn or depressed — this could be evidence of emotional neglect.
- Personal hygiene neglect – Problematic signs include soiled clothing or bedding, bad smells and loss of hair.
- Malnutrition – Signs may include sudden inexplicable weight loss, complaints about the food in the facility, or dehydration.
- Medical neglect – This might involve not getting their medication or suffering from infections, bedsores, diabetes, mobility loss or other similar issues.
If these serious signs persist without adequate explanation, there is a strong chance your loved one may be a victim of nursing home neglect, especially if his or her fellow residents show similar signs.
In these cases, it is important to act quickly, remove your loved one to safety, consult an attorney and consider alerting North Carolina nursing home regulators.
Contact a Skilled Nursing Home Abuse Attorney
We have office locations throughout the state of North Carolina and serve clients in both English and Spanish.
At Lanier Law Group, we are committed to putting an immediate stop to the abuse or neglect you or your loved one is experiencing, as well as securing the maximum compensation you may be owed.
