Hot Springs Nursing Home Abuse Lawyer

Abuse in nursing homes and other long-term care facilities is more common than many people think. Victims are often seriously hurt and experience long-term psychological damage. Families should contact the authorities to report the abuse and hire a lawyer who can help them get justice.

If you have reason to believe that your loved one has been abused while living in a nursing home, call the police and other state agencies who can investigate. It is possible that those responsible will be arrested and charged, and a lawyer can help you file a civil lawsuit against the nursing home. Your attorney can help you investigate for evidence, including medical records of your loved one’s injuries, testimony from possible witnesses, and business records from the nursing home.

Call our offices at (479) 316-0438 and start your case with a confidential, free legal assessment from our nursing home abuse lawyers.

How Can I Hold a Nursing Home Responsible for Abusing My Loved One in Hot Springs?

If your loved one was abused in a nursing home, contact an experienced lawyer who can help you sue those responsible and get justice for your loved one.

Call the Police and State Authorities

Your first step should be to call the police and get a lawyer. The police may investigate the nursing home and its staff for signs of abuse. In many cases, staff members who are found to have been abusive are arrested and criminally charged for their actions. The nursing home should also be held liable for the abuse.

Depending on the circumstances, we may file a complaint with the Arkansas Department of Health, which oversees long-term care facilities like nursing homes.

Get Your Loved One Medical Treatment

You must get your loved one medical attention right away. Not only is this necessary for their recovery, but our nursing home abuse lawyers may need their medical records to help prove that they were abused in the nursing home. Your loved one’s doctor may even be able to determine whether their injuries are consistent with abuse.

File a Lawsuit

Whether or not anyone is criminally charged for the abuse, you and your loved one should file a lawsuit to get fair compensation. The nursing home and those who participated in the abuse should be made to pay for your loved one’s numerous damages.

What Evidence Should I Have to Prove Nursing Home Abuse?

Evidence will vary based on the circumstances of the abuse and what is available. Your lawyer should be able to help you locate the evidence needed to prove your claims.

Photos and Records of Injuries

If you notice unexplained injuries on your loved one, take photos immediately. Injuries may recover with or without medical care, and having photos of the injuries may help convince a jury of your claims. Even if you do not take photos of the injuries, medical records about the injuries will likely be necessary.

Nursing Home Records

We should also try to obtain certain records from the nursing home. Business records about the employees involved in the abuse may be crucial, as they may shed light on when they were hired, what kind of access they had to your loved one, and whether there have been complaints of abuse about the employees in the past.

Security Camera Footage

Nursing homes often have security cameras in common areas, like hallways, lobbies, and stairwells. If abuse happens outside of your loved one’s private residence, it may have been recorded on video. As such, we should move quickly to obtain this footage before it is erased or deleted.

How Do I Know if Abuse is Happening in My Loved One’s Nursing Home in Hot Springs?

Abuse is a serious accusation, and most people are unwilling to make such an accusation without some proof. Below are some common signs of abuse, although your case may differ.

Signs of Physical Harm

Look for signs of injuries on your loved one. Bruising, lacerations, and fractures might have come from abuse. You should bring the injuries to the nursing home’s attention and demand an explanation. Often, nursing homes cannot explain where the injuries came from or are deliberately vague in their explanations.

Changes in Personality or Demeanor

Abuse tends to take a significant psychological toll on victims. As a result, victims often exhibit concerning personality changes. Talk to your loved one about possible abuse in their nursing home if they suddenly become angry, afraid, or depressed.

Statements from Your Loved One

Victims of nursing home abuse may be afraid or too ashamed to speak about the abuse directly, but they may say something that causes concern.

For example, your loved one might describe a staff member as scary or overly intimidating, or they may become uncharacteristically fearful around certain nursing home staff members.

If your loved one says or does something that seems strange or concerning, you should consider the possibility of abuse.

FAQs About Obtaining Compensation for Nursing Home Abuse in Hot Springs

How Do I Know My Loved One Has Been Abused in a Nursing Home?

Signs of abuse in a nursing home may include injuries that you were never informed of. In many cases, these injuries are not even treated, and they might not heal properly. You should also be concerned if your loved one displays sudden changes in their demeanor, such as becoming irritable, depressed, or despondent.

Who is Responsible for Nursing Home Abuse?

Generally, those who perpetrate the abuse may be held responsible in a lawsuit. Abusers often include nursing home staff members, like nurses and caregivers. As such, the nursing home should also be held responsible, especially if the nursing home could have prevented the abuse but failed to do so.

How Can I Get Compensation for My Loved One After Experiencing Nursing Home Abuse?

If your loved one is abused in a nursing home, you can help them file a civil lawsuit against the people responsible for the abuse and the nursing home. If successful, your loved one may be awarded fair financial compensation based on their injuries and damages. In many cases, compensation for abuse is quite high.

Where Do I Get Evidence of Nursing Home Abuse for a Lawsuit?

Evidence to support your lawsuit may include your loved one’s medical records, nursing home business records, testimony, and security camera footage. Abuse may take many forms, and the evidence we need will vary based on how the abuse occurred.

Should I Call the Police if My Loved One Has Been Abused in a Nursing Home?

Yes. Abuse in nursing homes is often a criminal offense, especially if nursing home staff is suspected of intentionally assaulting or otherwise harming victims. While your civil lawsuit may have to wait for criminal proceedings to finish, we may be able to use a guilty verdict to support your civil claims.

How Can I Stop a Nursing Home from Eliminating Evidence of Abuse?

One of the best ways to prevent the loss of evidence is to get a lawyer and contact the authorities. Once the police launch a criminal investigation, the nursing home could be criminally charged for destroying evidence.

Call Our Nursing Home Abuse Attorneys Now for Legal Help

Call our nursing home abuse lawyers at (479) 316-0438 and start your case with a confidential, free legal assessment.