Group homes, which are also called “residential care homes,” are meant to provide safe environments for elderly residents who need help with basic daily tasks. In this respect, group homes are similar to nursing homes and assisted living facilities; but unfortunately, that isn’t the only characteristic they share. Like nursing homes and assisted living communities, group homes for seniors report high incidence rates of abuse and neglect among residents. In many instances, the abuse or neglect leads to the preventable death or injury of a resident the complete opposite of the comfort and care that group homes pledge to provide.
If your mother, father, grandfather, grandmother, or an elderly spouse or relative was injured or killed due to abuse or neglect at a group home for seniors, you should review your family’s legal options with an experienced elder abuse lawyer. Brent Wieand is an experienced personal injury attorney who has devoted himself to advocacy for elder abuse victims throughout the U.S. If your elderly family member suffered injuries, sexual abuse, financial exploitation, or wrongful death in a group home setting, we can help you fight for justice and compensation. To discuss your claim confidentially in a free legal consultation, contact our law offices at (800) 770-3497 today.
Personal Injury Lawyers for Senior Citizens
Their small, intimate environments make residential care homes an appealing option for many seniors who can no longer live independently. However, the very structure that makes group homes attractive can also create opportunities for physical abuse, sexual abuse, financial abuse, and other forms of abuse or neglect. Like residents of nursing homes, most group home residents require assistance with dressing, bathing, and moving about the premises, putting residents in close and frequent contact with employees. Abusive caregivers can exploit this access to victimize group home residents, many of whom are highly vulnerable and defenseless due to age-related impairments.
We understand the serious perils faced by seniors in group homes, and know what types of conditions give rise to abuse of residents. In each case we handle, we work diligently to accomplish three goals: showing that your loved one’s injury or wrongful death was caused by negligence, obtaining financial compensation for the victims, and securing justice for our clients. Equipped with many years of experience representing seniors and their family members, our elder abuse attorneys handle a wide range of cases against residential care homes, including claims and lawsuits involving:
- Back Injuries
- Bed Sores (Decubitus Ulcers/Pressure Sores)
- Broken Bones
- Burn Injuries
- Cuts and Bruises
- Dehydration and Malnutrition/Malnourishment
- Fall Injuries
- Financial Abuse of Seniors
- Foot and Ankle Injuries
- Hand and Wrist Injuries
- Head Injuries
- Medication Errors
- Nerve Damage
- Organ Damage/Organ Failure
- Pelvic Fractures (Broken Hips)
- Scald Injuries
- Scarring and Disfigurement
- Sexual Abuse of Seniors
- Slip and Fall Accidents
- Spinal Cord Injury (SCI)
- Torn Ligaments
- Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI)
- Wrongful Death
Compensation for Elder Abuse in Residential Care Homes
If a group home’s negligence leads to the otherwise preventable death, injury, financial exploitation, or sexual abuse of a resident, the facility can be held liable for various expenses and financial losses. The facility can also be held liable for harm and losses of a non-financial nature, such as the pain and suffering the victim experienced because of the neglect or abuse that occurred.
In addition to compensation for harm and expenses that have already been incurred, the victim may also recover compensation for reasonably necessary future medical treatment. For example, compensation may available to cover the cost of a surgery, or medical device, that the victim will need for future or ongoing treatment.
There are several types of compensation, or “damages,” in a personal injury lawsuit against a negligent group home for seniors. They include:
- Compensatory Damages Compensation awarded strictly for the purpose of compensating the victim’s losses.
- Economic (“Special”) Damages Compensation for financial losses, such as medical bills, burial and funeral expenses, and costs associated with transferring to a new group home.
- Non-Economic (“General”) Damages Compensation for other losses, such as permanent scarring, emotional distress, or pain and suffering.
- Punitive Damages Compensation awarded for the dual purpose of punishing the defendant and acting as a deterrent. Each state has different laws on punitive damages, but generally, they are awarded only in cases where the defendant acted fraudulently or with malice (with intent to harm), such as an abuse case.
If the group home’s representatives are willing to settle, and are prepared to make a reasonable offer, it may be possible to resolve the case without ever going to trial, which can save time and expense while simultaneously affording your family a greater degree of privacy. However, in the event that the facility’s legal team refuses to accept liability and make a fair settlement offer, our attorneys will be ready for trial. We begin preparing for litigation at the very outset of your case, so that we are equipped to try your case before a jury should settlement negotiations reach an impasse.
Group Home Abuse Attorneys Handling Injury Claims and Lawsuits
Senior citizens deserve to receive skilled and compassionate care when they enter group home arrangements. Our group home injury attorneys can work to hold negligent care centers accountable when neglect or abuse harms a resident.
With years of experience handling elder abuse cases throughout the United States, our eminently qualified team of attorneys brings a high level of legal knowledge and strategic innovation to every case. Brent Wieand conducts a careful, detail-oriented investigation into the group home’s treatment of your loved one as he fights for justice and compensation.
To talk about your elder abuse claim in a cost-free and confidential consultation, contact our group home injury lawyers at (800) 770-3497 right away.