Colorado Nursing Home Injury Settlements

When you place a loved one in a nursing facility, you are charging these professionals with the life and well-being of someone very dear to you. If your loved one is abused and neglected in a nursing home, it is a heartbreaking breach of trust for both your loved one and their family.

The nursing home abuse attorneys from Nursing Home Law Center LLC are available to answer any further questions you may have.

Types of Abuse & Neglect Found in Colorado Nursing Homes

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that more than 1.4 million people are currently living in 15,600 nursing homes in the United States. Nearly 70% of these are operated as for-profit facilities. Medicare tracks data for 229 nursing homes in Colorado, gathering information through surveys, inspections, and investigations of formal complaints. The federal agency reported serious violations and deficiencies at 53 Colorado facilities that led to serious harm and premature death of residents. That means that 23% of Colorado facilities did not meet the basic standards of care. This can lead to tragic consequences.

Some of the most common types of abuse and neglect in Colorado nursing homes include:

1. Physical Harm: This may be an act perpetuated by nursing home staff, other residents, or visitors to a facility.
2. Unknown Fractures: When staff fail to get assistance or needed lifting equipment, patients may be dropped, suffering serious injuries. However, any fracture occurring at a nursing facility is cause for concern. In addition to the underlying circumstance, many patients suffer from serious medical complications following a broken bone.
3. Sexual Assaults: Facilities have a responsibility to screen staff and residents who have a history of aggressive behavior and sexual assault.
4. Medication Errors: Facilities have a responsibility to provide the correct medication and dosage as prescribed by the resident's physician. When errors are made, patients may sustain complications or even death.
5. Untimely Death: A sudden, unexpected death should always be examined to determine if there are factors involving the patient's care that contributed to the death.

Signs of Neglect at Colorado Nursing Facilities

You may be wondering how you can prevent abuse of your loved one in a nursing home. The best thing you can do is be involved in their care and watch for possible signs of neglect like:

• Bed Sores
• Fractured Bones
• Open Wounds
• Infection
• Loss of Hair
• Torn or Stained Clothing
• Emotional Withdrawal
• Unresponsiveness
• Complaints of the Victim

How Much is my Case Worth in Colorado?

If you suspect abuse or neglect of a loved one in a nursing home, you may wonder if it's worth it to bring a lawsuit. In Colorado, it is a Class 3 misdemeanor if someone entrusted with the care of an elderly person sees signs of abuse or neglect, including financial abuse, and fails to report it. Personnel in hospitals and long-term care facilities are among those people required to report this, making abuse or neglect that happens in a Colorado nursing facility an even bigger breach of trust.

Often, lawsuits induce nursing facilities change their practices and procedures and result in better overall care for all patients. Moreover, you may receive the financial support necessary to pay medical bills or other expenses incurred as a result of the abuse. Some things that may be used to determine the financial value of the case in both nursing home negligence and wrongful death are:

• Medical costs
• Pain and suffering of the patient and family
• Disfigurement or disability
• Loss of income
• Loss of normal life
• Survival damages, in the case of wrongful death

Total amounts awarded in Colorado will vary depending on the extent of the injury. Any award amount can also be affected by state laws that limit the amount of compensation that can be recovered, such as the Colorado Governmental Immunity Act, shared fault rules, and medical malpractice damage award caps.

You can review additional Colorado settlement information on our website as well:

• Colorado Nursing Home Medical Error Lawsuits
• Colorado Nursing Home Inadequate Care Lawsuits
• Colorado Nursing Home Fall Lawsuit Settlements
• Colorado Nursing Home Bed Sore Lawsuits
• Colorado Nursing Home Abuse Settlements

If you believe your loved one has been abused or neglected in a Colorado nursing facility, please contact us. We can help you determine if you and your loved one might be entitled to relief under Colorado law.