Chula Vista Nursing Home Abuse and Neglect Lawyers

As parents, grandparents, or other loved ones age, younger family members often have to make tough decisions about an elderly loved one’s care. While some families may have the resources, capacity, and skillset to provide in-home care, many will turn to nursing homes as the most reliable and trustworthy option.

Yet while nursing homes are indeed designed to provide elderly patients with a high level of care, nursing home neglect and abuse are pervasive. At the office of the Southern California Nursing Home Law Group, our experienced Chula Vista nursing home abuse and neglect lawyers know how serious and how prevalent nursing home abuse and neglect are in San Diego County, and we want to help you if you suspect that harm is occurring. For a free consultation with our Chula Vista elder neglect attorneys, please call us today or send us a message telling us more about your situation.

When an elderly person is neglected or abused, there is a serious risk of injury and, in many cases, a premature death. Some types of injuries and harm and that can result from nursing home abuse and neglect include:

• Bedsores/pressure ulcers
• Malnutrition
• Dehydration
• Infections
• Bone fractures
• Deadly medication errors
• Depression
• Brain or head injuries (often resulting from falls)
• Suffocation injuries (resulting from becoming trapped in a bed rail)
• Sexually transmitted infections (STIs), and
• More.

Many injury types, such as bone fractures or traumatic brain injuries, are deadly when sustained by an older person. Older persons, especially those with other serious underlying health conditions, are less resilient than are younger persons. For example, one study finds that broken bones among older persons increase their risk of death for up to 10 years.

When an elderly nursing home resident is suffering from abuse or neglect within a nursing home, it is important to determine who is responsible for the abuse and neglect. Determining responsibility can be key in preventing future abuse and neglect from occurring, as well as ensuring that the victim of the abuse receives compensation for damages they have suffered. Parties who may be held liable for nursing home abuse and neglect include:

• Nursing home staff member. If a nursing home staff member is found guilty of nursing home abuse, they may have criminal charges brought against them. In some cases, civil charges may also be brought directly against the nursing home employee. More commonly, though, the nursing home facility will be found liable for the actions of the employee under the theory of vicarious liability.
• Nursing home facility. Usually, the nursing home facility is found liable for incidents of nursing home abuse or neglect. This is because the abuse or neglect may have been a result of the nursing home’s actions or inactions, such as failing to conduct proper background checks on staff, failing to properly train or monitor staff, failing to maintain a property in safe condition, etc.
• Third parties. In some cases, a third party could be responsible for an injury or accident involving a nursing home resident. For example, if a nursing home resident is harmed by unsafe medical equipment, the manufacturer of the equipment may be held responsible.

At the law offices of the Southern California Nursing Home Law Group, our Chula Vista nursing home abuse and neglect lawyers recognize how serious nursing home abuse and neglect are, and we want to help. When you choose our lawyers, we can assist you by investigating all allegations of abuse, gathering evidence and witnesses’ testimonies, advising you regarding what actions to take, filing the claim on your behalf, negotiating a settlement, and more. We have more than 20 years of experience working on nursing home abuse cases throughout San Diego and understand what it takes to get the best results for our clients.

If you suspect that nursing home abuse or neglect is occurring and that your elderly loved one is at risk, do not hesitate to take action. We urge you to speak up immediately, report the abuse, and call our lawyers for aggressive support. We can start working on your case immediately and will remain committed and available throughout the process. To schedule a free consultation, please call our Chula Vista nursing home abuse and neglect attorneys directly or use the intake form on our website to send us a message at your convenience.