It can be an unpleasant episode when a senior citizen is injured in a nursing home or an assisted living center, and many times the people on the staff conveniently can’t remember what happened. It is also unfortunate that in many cases the family members are not keeping up with what is going on with their loved ones in these facilities. The loved ones then become victims of a vicious cycle, go with their injuries untreated, and may end up permanently affected or ill. Fortunately, there are attorneys and law firms available to help bring remedy to these unfortunate circumstances.
Attorneys and Law Firms Will Help Victims Injured at Senior Living Facilities
Law firms such as The Hughey Law Firm in Charleston, South Carolina are set up to offer their services to seniors or anyone living in an assisted living center. On the hugheylawfirm.com website, the organization lists information that helps potential clients to know what they need to do about injuries at an assisted living center. Personal injuries are matters that need to be handled expeditiously by a law professional. The longer a person waits to file a claim for a personal injury, the greater the chance of losing out on the opportunity to be awarded damages.
What to Do About Personal Injuries
Personal injuries that occur at an assisted living facility or some other health care institution can arise from unintentional negligence such as breach of a duty of care. This occurs when a staff member or the facility as a whole fails to provide what is considered reasonable to ensure the health and safety of the residents. When a personal injury occurs, the injured person should keep in mind that there are statutes of limitations that come into play. The injured resident has a limited amount of time to get the lawsuit filed, in other words.
More to Know About Personal Injuries
There will be a discussion of what the damages will be for a particular personal injury, such as how much can be awarded for punitive damages. These types of damages can only occur when the attorney is able to prove that the nursing home or assisted living center acted maliciously to bring about the injured resident’s injuries. As this may be difficult to prove, there must be some sort of documentation against the staff member or recorded audio or video that captures the staff member acting maliciously. This leads to a discussion on special considerations for nursing homes.
Special Considerations for Proving Nursing Home or Assisted Living Facility Injuries
Mental suffering is often one of the challenges that can occur in assisted living centers or nursing homes, as many of the residents may easily suffer mental abuse. Loss of the enjoyment of life can also typically occur with a nursing home or assisted living center resident. Lastly, there is the possibility of disfigurement that can occur with assisted living center residents, such as amputation.
Final Thoughts About Getting Compensated for Assisted Living Center Injuries
There are many other incidents in an assisted senior living facility or any other health care facility that can occur to the residents. The wrong prescription drugs can be administered, medical equipment could be faulty, the residents could slip and fall, and many other things. Be sure to consult with an attorney as soon as these things happen.