Norman Nursing Home Abuse Lawyer

Norman Oklahoma Nursing Home Ratings GraphFor-profit corporations run most nursing homes in the United States. Nursing homes are designed to give high-quality care to people who cannot care for their elderly or disabled loved ones on their own due to age, illness, or disability.

Unfortunately, nursing home residents are often the victims of abuse and neglect. According to a National Center on Elder Abuse report, as many as 5 million elders are abused yearly in the United States. Not all of these abusers find their justice under the law since so many of these events go unreported.

Are you or a loved one a victim of nursing home neglect or mistreatment? The affiliate Oklahoma personal injury attorneys at Nursing Home Law Center, LLC, advocate for the rights of nursing home residents who others have injured.

Contact our Norman nursing home abuse lawyers at (800) 926-7565 (toll-free phone number) or use the contact form today for immediate legal advice and schedule a free consultation. All confidential or sensitive information you share with our Norman personal injury lawyers remains private through an attorney-client relationship.

What Is Nursing Home Abuse and Negligence?

According to the US National Research Council (NRC), elder abuse is “a single or repeated act or lack of appropriate action, occurring within any relationship where there is an expectation of trust that causes harm or distress to an older person.”

Nursing home residents can experience the following types of mistreatment:

  • Physical abuse - The intentional infliction of physical harm in nursing homes can severely injure a resident and involve punching, hitting, kicking, elbowing, choking, or burning.
  • Sexual abuse - Any non-consensual sexual contact with a nursing home resident is sexual abuse, including rape, molestation, sodomy, forced nudity, and unwanted touching.
  • Emotional abuse - Emotional trauma can be just as damaging as any other form of mistreatment. Emotional abuse often manifests as verbal threats, intimidation, humiliation, mind games, social isolation, or public embarrassment.
  • Financial abuse - Financial exploitation in nursing homes occurs when staff members or other residents mistreat a resident for financial gain. Financial abuse can include identity theft, forgery, fraud, or exploitation of personal funds.
  • Neglect - Devastating negligence harms residents when nursing home staff fails to provide adequate care. Neglect can involve failing to provide food and water, basic hygiene needs, necessary medical care, or safe living conditions.
  • Psychological abuse - Residents can also be psychologically abused through verbal assaults, mind games, threats, or social isolation.

If your beloved family member has endured any of the listed types of mistreatment, their perpetrator must be held liable for their actions. Report what you see to police or authorities, and consider hiring an attorney to represent you to seek justice under the law. Any type of disabled adult or elder abuse is a crime, and speaking out about it is the first step to stopping it.

What Is Elder Abuse?

Elder abuse is a generalized term used to describe the mistreatment of older adults that causes them harm or distress. According to the National Center on Elder Abuse (NCEA), as many as 5 million senior citizen residents are abused each year in the United States.

Elder abuse can take many forms, but it always includes some mistreatment that leads to harm (emotional abuse, physical abuse, etc.). Neglect and maltreatment also affect disabled and rehabilitating individuals needing medical care and hygiene assistance in nursing homes.

Elderly residents in Norman nursing homes could experience any form of mistreatment listed above. Elder abuse can also be challenging to identify.

The Common Warning Signs of Nursing Home Mistreatment, Abuse, and Neglect

Do you have a disabled or elderly loved one in a nursing home? Visiting them often and looking for any signs of mistreatment or neglect is crucial.

Often, victims of elder abuse are hesitant to speak up because they fear the law will not protect them and instead will receive retaliation from their abuser—document any of the following to include in a report.

Here are some common signs of neglect or mistreatment in a Norman nursing home:

  • Bruises, cuts, welts, or other injuries that cannot be explained
  • Sprains or broken bones
  • Head trauma
  • The results of sexual abuse such as bruises around the breasts or genitals and STDs or genital infections
  • Anxiety, depression, fearfulness, or behavioral changes
  • Dehydration and malnourishment
  • Poor hygiene
  • Medication errors
  • Soiled clothing and bedding
  • Complaining about substandard treatment
  • Frequent crying
Why Nursing Home Neglect and Abuse Are so Common

Some nursing homes are unable to provide the same level of care as others and should be held liable. Some homes do not have resources such as enough staff to follow care plans to ensure all residents receive high-quality care.

Some nursing homes are always understaffed, leaving them unable to care for their large number of residents. Many times, nursing staff cannot perform their job duties because of:

  • Lack of training
  • Excessive workloads
  • High turnover rates
  • Understaffing

These problems often result in lower quality of care for nursing home residents, leading to neglect. Poorly trained or overworked staff may resort to shortcuts that put residents at risk, such as:

  • Not providing enough food or water
  • Failing to change soiled bedding or clothing
  • Not providing proper hygiene assistance
  • Withholding medication or giving the wrong medication dosage
  • Ignoring patients' cries for help
  • Leaving patients in dirty or unsanitary conditions
  • Failing to provide proper medical care

Lack of eligible candidates can lead to negligent hiring and failure to conduct proper background checks on newly hired employees and existing staff.

These dangerous shortcuts can lead to severe injuries, illness, and even death, which is why it is against the law. Was your disabled or elderly loved one injured due to neglect or mistreatment? You may be able to file a lawsuit to recover damages. Contact a Norman nursing home abuse attorney to discuss your legal options.

Why Developing Bedsores Are Typically a Sign of Neglect

Bedsores (pressure wounds, pressure sores, pressure ulcers, or decubitus ulcers) are a common sign of neglect. When staff does not turn and reposition mobility-challenged residents at least once every ninety minutes, they can develop bedsores from lying in the same position for too long.

Pressure wounds result from constant pressure on a body part that restricts blood flow to the area. The pressure can cause the skin and tissue to break down, leading to an open sore. Bedsores are most likely to develop on bony areas of the body, such as the:

  • Hips
  • Shoulders
  • Elbows
  • Heels
  • Ankles
  • Back of the head
  • Backs of the ears
  • Back
  • Backs of the knees

Bedsores can range from mild to severe. Mild bedsores may appear as redness on the skin. Severe bedsores can progress to the bone and become infected. If left untreated, bedsores can lead to serious health problems, including:

  • Cellulitis
  • Bone infection (osteomyelitis)
  • Blood infection (sepsis)

According to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), bedsores are preventable with proper care. Nursing staff members are required by law to be trained to provide optimal skincare to ensure the resident's well-being.

What to Expect When Filing a Nursing Home Abuse Case

Filing a civil lawsuit against a Norman nursing home citing abuse or neglect can provide the injured person financial compensation paid by the responsible parties. A legal claim will ensure that the defendants are held liable for their egregious behavior when the victim, and possibly other residents, are injured through mistreatment.

Data shows that nearly all (95%) Norman nursing home abuse cases are resolved through negotiated settlements and not in a court of law. The responsible parties agreed to pay the injured victims monetary recovery to drop the case.

Only a tiny percentage of the remaining 5% of all nursing home abuse cases not resolved at settlement meetings are heard in front of a judge and jury. The victim of elder abuse and neglect can be compensated for various damages, including:

  • Hospitalization costs and medical expenses related to neglect
  • Rehabilitation, therapy, and surgical bills
  • Loss of benefits
  • Funeral and burial expenses in wrongful death cases
  • Pain and suffering
  • Mental anguish
  • Loss of companionship or consortium
When Nursing Home Abuse Leads to Wrongful Death

Families who lost a beloved one through the reckless actions of caregivers, facility employees, visitors, or residents in a Norman nursing home can file a civil lawsuit, citing wrongful death against those legally responsible.

A qualifying family member could be the surviving spouse, child, grandchild, parent, grandparent, sibling, or others related to the Norman nursing home victim.

However, receiving compensation is not automatic. The injured parties or their nursing home abuse lawyer must prove the four elements of civil tort law, including:

  • The defendants of the decedents owed a duty of care to provide their safety and maintain their well-being
  • The defendants breached their duty
  • That breach involved negligence, physical abuse, sexual abuse, emotional abuse, elder abuse, or other harm.
  • The harm led to the victim’s demise.

Our attorneys have represented many injured parties where families have taken action to ensure that those responsible are held liable for their egregious behavior that led to the death.

Hire a Norman Nursing Home Abuse Lawyer to Resolve an Injury Claim

Were you or a beloved family member harmed through negligence or intentional infliction of physical or emotional pain? Do you want to file a lawsuit against responsible parties citing physical abuse, sexual molestation, emotional trauma, elder abuse, or financial exploitation?

Contact a nursing home abuse lawyer from our affiliate Oklahoma City law offices to hold those legally responsible financially accountable for their unacceptable behavior.

Our Oklahoma attorneys accept all personal injury cases on a contingency fee agreement. This arrangement ensures you pay nothing until your nursing home abuse lawyer successfully resolves your case through a negotiated settlement or jury award.

Call our Norman nursing home abuse and neglect attorneys today at (800) 926-7565 (toll-free phone call) or use the contact form to schedule a free consultation to discuss obtaining financial compensation for you or a family member.

Confidential or sensitive information you provide to our elder abuse lawyers is kept private through an attorney-client relationship.

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Client Reviews

★★★★★
Jonathan did a great job helping my family navigate through a lengthy lawsuit involving my grandmother's death in a nursing home. Through every step of the case, Jonathan kept my family informed of the progression of the case. Although our case eventually settled at a mediation, I really was impressed at how well prepared Jonathan was to take the case to trial. Lisa
★★★★★
After I read Jonathan’s Nursing Home Blog, I decided to hire him to look into my wife’s treatment at a local nursing home. Jonathan did a great job explaining the process and the laws that apply to nursing homes. I immediately felt at ease and was glad to have him on my side. Though the lawsuit process was at times frustrating, Jonathan reassured me, particularly at my deposition. I really felt like Jonathan cared about my wife’s best interests, and I think that came across to the lawyers for the nursing home. Eric