Your Huntington, WV, Nursing Home Abuse Lawyers

Physical abuse and violence are fairly straightforward. This is the kind of abuse that physically harms residents. This kind of abuse is often recognizable by the appearance of bruises on the resident’s body along with cuts, burns, or any other kind of physical damage.

Not all abuse manifests physically. Abuse can also be psychological. Nursing homes are meant to allow residents to live in comfort with dignity, but being belittled, insulted, and otherwise verbally assaulted violates the entire purpose of the facility as well as the rights of your loved one.

Sexual abuse occurs when nursing home residents are assaulted or harassed in a sexual manner, which is a clear violation of their rights. Violations of privacy expectations can also qualify as sexual abuse in many cases, depending on the context.

This form of abuse is a bit more complicated. Residents of a nursing home often have wills and estate planning efforts set up. A common example of financial abuse involves manipulating residents into changing the beneficiaries of their estate. Common signs of this are sudden changes in will details or a shift in power of attorney.

Even if the facility has enough staff, that may not be enough if the staff is undertrained. Without proper training, the staff may not be able to effectively provide the care residents are entitled to, and they may not even understand the specific rights of residents that are legally protected.

When nursing home staff members are underpaid, they’re often far less motivated to provide the top-quality care that residents deserve. Without being properly motivated, it’s common for mistreatment to occur. Additionally, underpaid staff may vent their frustrations on the residents, leading to different forms of abuse.

Even if a nursing home is well-staffed with properly trained professionals, caretakers with questionable motives can still slip through. They can abuse residents for a variety of reasons, whether they are feeling burnt out, have a history of abuse themselves, or are suffering from personal health issues.

If you’ve witnessed any of these kinds of practices and suspect abuse as a result, you may have a case for your loved one.

Yes. Nursing home residents are specifically legally protected from any form of abuse and neglect including failure of the staff to provide essential services.

Unfortunately, nursing homes can get away with abuse. This primarily happens because people are unwilling to stand up to them. That’s why it’s essential that you get a lawyer involved who won’t hesitate to pursue justice.

The value of each case will vary depending on the details. Put simply, the value of your case is the amount of damages suffered because of the abuse. That includes costs for medical bills, relocation, and pain and suffering.

When you work with Stewart Bell, PLLC, you won’t have to worry about any attorney fees unless you receive compensation. We work on a contingency fee basis, so we don’t get paid unless you get paid.