Baton Rouge Nursing Home Abuse Lawyer
If a close family member or loved one is abused in a nursing home in Baton Rouge, LA, it’s important to seek legal advice quickly. You may be entitled to compensation. Palmintier Law Group can help you fight for every dollar you deserve. With a passionate Baton Rouge nursing home abuse lawyer by your side, your family is much more likely to get justice.
Since 1975, our law firm has been helping injured clients stand up to nursing homes and their powerful insurance companies. Our award-winning attorneys have over 80 years of combined experience in personal injury law, recovering millions for injured victims of Baton Rouge burn injuries, child injuries, motorcycle accidents, Baton Rouge premises liability cases, product liability, pedestrian accidents, and more.
Contact our law offices in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, today at (225) 344 3735 to learn more about your legal options.
How Palmintier Law Group Can Help if Your Loved One Was a Victim of Nursing Home Abuse in Baton Rouge, LA
Nursing homes are often owned and operated by powerful corporations. Standing up and fighting for what’s fair can be intimidating. However, when they allow your loved one to be harmed, they should be held accountable. After all, you trusted the nursing home to protect your loved one when they were most vulnerable.
Palmintier Law Group can help. Our Baton Rouge personal injury lawyers have earned an AV-Preeminent rating for our high-quality legal services. That’s the top award given by the Martindale Hubbell lawyer rating service.
When you hire us, you’ll have an experienced advocate to:
- Promptly investigate the circumstances of the abuse
- Collect evidence to build a compelling claim for compensation
- Consult experts in various fields as we prepare your case
- Identify your damages and calculate their value
- Negotiate aggressively with the insurance companies and defense lawyers
- Reject any lowball offers and take your case to trial if necessary
We’ve already used our experience to recover over $1 billion in settlements and verdicts for families like yours. Call our Baton Rouge personal injury attorneys today to learn more about how we can help you.
How Common is Nursing Home Abuse?
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), about ⅔ of nursing home staff admitted that they committed some type of abuse. One in every six people aged 60 and older experienced abuse in a community setting in a single year.
Our Attorneys Handle All Types of Nursing Home Abuse Cases
Nursing home abuse occurs any time a caregiver’s actions or omissions cause the resident harm. Both active abuse and passive neglect can cause significant harm. It’s important to understand that nursing home abuse can take many forms.
Types of nursing home abuse include:
- Physical abuse: Victims of physical abuse suffer bodily harm, often caused by a caregiver’s punching, kicking, slapping, or hitting. The unnecessary use of restraints can also constitute physical abuse.
- Emotional abuse: Emotional or psychological abuse can involve belittling, humiliation, bullying, name-calling, and even forced isolation.
- Sexual abuse: Sexual abuse can involve outright rape and sexual assault. It can also involve any type of unwanted sexual contact, including forcing a nursing home resident to watch sexual content. Unfortunately, sexual abuse is often a problem with patients who suffer from memory issues and are unable to consent or object.
- Nursing home neglect: Nursing home neglect occurs when caregivers fail to satisfy a resident’s basic needs. Failure to provide sanitary conditions, food, water, and appropriate medical care are all examples.
- Financial abuse: Nursing home residents are susceptible to financial exploitation. Financial abuse can constitute theft of property, identity theft, forgery, and even coercing a resident into changing a will or beneficiary designations.
Any type of nursing home abuse can cause significant damage. If you suspect your loved one is being abused in an assisted living facility, contact Palmintier Law Group for a free case review with a lawyer who can help.
What Are Some Signs That My Loved One Has Been Abused?
Nursing home abuse often goes unreported.
Many residents are too ashamed and humiliated to tell their loved ones what’s happening. Others may fear retaliation at the hands of their abusive caregivers. And, unfortunately, there are some situations where a patient with dementia or Alzheimer’s disease might not even understand that the abuse is occurring.
Some signs that your loved one may be a victim include:
- Unexplained weight loss
- Changes in hygiene
- Behavioral changes, including becoming withdrawn or depressed
- Regressive behaviors, including self-hugging, rocking, thumb sucking, etc.
- Unsanitary conditions
- Frequent injuries accompanied by suspicious explanations
- Fear of speaking in front of a caregiver
- Caregivers who refuse to leave you alone with your loved one
- Unexplained financial transactions
If you notice anything unusual, it’s important to take action. You can report elder abuse in Louisiana by calling 1-833-577-6532 or 225-342-0144. You can also contact a nursing home ombudsman or call the nursing home abuse hotline at 888-810-1819.
You can also contact our lawyers, who will help you understand your options going forward.
What is My Baton Rouge Nursing Home Abuse Case Worth?
Your case value depends on several important factors, including:
- The nature of the harm suffered
- The nature of the at-fault party’s acts
- Medical treatment and relocation costs
- Whether the victim suffered permanent or long-term damage
- How the abuse impacted the victim’s emotional health
- The impact on your family, considering both financial and non-financial losses
Your costs may be more extensive than you originally thought. Consulting an experienced attorney is always the best way to get a sense of your case value.
What Types of Damages Are Available to Victims of Nursing Home Abuse in Baton Rouge, Louisiana?
Several different types of damages are available to victims of nursing home abuse in Louisiana. The damages you recover are designed to compensate for both your economic damages and non-economic damages.
The damages you recover will depend on the nature of the losses involved, and may include:
- Medical expenses
- Costs associated with relocating to a safe long-term care facility
- Restitution in cases involving financial abuse
- Future medical costs
- Rehabilitation and therapies
- Mental health counseling
- Out-of-pocket expenses
- Lost wages you sustain while caring for your loved one
- Pain and suffering
- Mental trauma
- Chronic pain
- PTSD and fear
- Shame and humiliation
- Reduced life expectancy
- Diminished quality of life
When caregivers intentionally harm residents and nursing homes intentionally look the other way, punitive damages may also be available. Punitive damages are meant to punish the defendant and deter future wrongdoing.
How Much Does it Cost to Hire a Personal Injury Lawyer in Baton Rouge, LA?
Personal injury lawyers in Louisiana typically work on a contingency fee basis. When you hire a lawyer, you’ll sign an agreement that specifies how your attorney’s fees will be paid. If you win a settlement or verdict, your lawyer will take a percentage. That way, you won’t have to worry about covering legal expenses upfront.
We’ll Help You Fight for Compensation for All of Your Nursing Home Abuse Injuries
Nursing home abuse can leave victims struggling with severe and life-changing injuries.
At Palmintier Law Group, we represent all victims of nursing home abuse and neglect, including those who have suffered:
- Broken bones
- Broken hips and joint injuries
- Bed sores
- Soft tissue damage
- Traumatic brain injuries
- Spinal cord injuries
- Burns and scarring
- Nerve damage
- Infections
- Development of new medical conditions
- Internal organ damage and bleeding
- Genital injuries
- Catastrophic injuries and wrongful death
If your loved one was mistreated while in a nursing facility, call our Baton Rouge nursing home abuse attorneys today. We offer a free case review so that you can get the legal guidance you need.
How Do I Prove My Baton Rouge Nursing Home Abuse Case?
In many cases, nursing home employees intentionally abuse residents. To recover compensation, you’ll need evidence to prove the abuse happened.
That evidence can include:
- Medical records detailing physical injuries and trauma
- Photos of injuries and conditions in the nursing home
- Statements from other nursing home employees or residents
- Evidence of past abuse or safety violations
- Statements from the victim and their family
You may wonder how it will be possible to recover full compensation from caregivers who are often low-paid workers.
Nursing homes can be held liable for the acts of their employees. When a caregiver commits abuse, they can be punished. However, the nursing home and their insurance company will probably be on the hook for paying your damages. These claims can be based on negligent hiring, failure to conduct background checks, failure to regularly inspect the nursing home and a host of other legal theories.
How Long Do I Have to File a Lawsuit Based on Nursing Home Abuse in Louisiana?
The statute of limitations in Louisiana is typically only one year. There are very few exceptions to the general rule. That means you should contact a lawyer as soon as you suspect your loved one is being victimized. We’ll take immediate action to preserve your right to compensation.
Contact a Skilled Baton Rouge Nursing Home Abuse Lawyer for a Free Consultation
There is never an excuse for nursing home abuse. If your loved one was a victim, reach out to Palmintier Law Group to schedule a free case review. An experienced Baton Rouge nursing home abuse lawyer can protect your family and fight for the maximum compensation available.