Nursing Home Abuse Lawyer Philadelphia, PA
When a loved one is injured under any circumstances it can be heartbreaking and leave you needing a nursing home abuse lawyer in Philadelphia, PA from a reliable PA nursing home law firm. However, many people suffer personal injuries at nursing homes and their loved ones might not even know it. When you leave a loved one at a nursing home, you expect that they will be able to reasonably care for them regarding basic needs like food, water, hygiene, and a clean space. So, when you visit your family member and see signs of a personal injury, what can you do? Should you call the police? Should you contact the manager? How do you even know who to blame?
Assessing the Injury
Although a lot can happen to a person’s body as they age, there are certain injuries you can look for that are likely the result of someone else’s doing or someone else’s negligence. A few signs you might see are:
- Bruising
- Lacerations or Cuts
- Rapid Loss of Weight
- Signs of Dehydration
- Broken Bones
- Change In Mood or Personality
If you see signs that your loved one has gotten a personal injury while in the care of a nursing home, who can you hold responsible?
Should I Hold the Nursing Home Responsible?
Any nursing home owes their residents a duty of care. Many nursing homes take on patients with severe physical or cognitive disabilities, thus it is not merely that the staff must keep their residents out of harm’s way, but that their very basic needs—food, water, shelter, hygiene, and medical care—are being met. Additionally, many nursing homes offer addition activities like physical therapy, games, and exercise classes that, while great, can cause even more harm to residents through abuse or suffering from an injury, as a nursing home lawyer in Philadelphia, PA knows. Some examples where you could hold a nursing home residence responsible for personal injury are:
- A failure to monitor the staff properly
- Inability to provide security
- Negligence regarding staff training
- Inadequate background checks when hiring the staff
- A failure to provide residents with their basic needs, like food, shelter, and water
- Medical neglect by not providing residents with their needed medications
- Intentional abuse by members of the staff
These and more, are ways a nursing home was negligent or intentionally injurious toward a resident, and if this is the case, they can be held legally liable for the damages done.
Are There Instances Where I Can Sue Someone Else?
Although your loved one might have received an injury on the property, the nursing home is not always held liable. In other cases, someone else entirely might be held responsible. In some cases, medical equipment might have malfunctioned causing the injury, or even an outside contractor who is supposed to maintain the equipment did not do his job properly. These are two example where a third-party would be responsible. Other examples could be visitors for other residents or even those trespassing illegally on the nursing home property, as a personal injury lawyer in Philadelphia, PA knows.
What You Need To Do If You Suspect an Injury
If you believe that your loved one was the victim of a personal injury while staying at a nursing home, you should report this injury to the local authorities and try to remove them from the nursing home as soon as possible to avoid further incidents – as well as speak with PA nursing home lawyers. If you have any questions regarding personal injuries at nursing homes, get in touch with a nursing home abuse lawyer Philadelphia, PA relies on at Wieand Law Firm, LLC today.
