Virginia Nursing Home Abuse Lawyer
A Virginia nursing home abuse lawyer can provide legal representation to nursing home residents if they were victimized by abuse or neglect and suffered damages as a result. When the nursing home’s wrongful actions caused harm, those who were hurt can pursue a claim for compensation for their harms and losses.
Tragically, the Center for Problem-Oriented Policing warns that an elder abuse victim has three times the risk of premature death as a result of the abuse than those who are not abused.
Nursing Home Abuse in Virginia?
A personal injury or wrongful death claim may be filed by a nursing home abuse victim or by surviving family members of someone who died as a result of negligent care or abuse. Although abuse and neglect of elderly patients are typically perpetrated by individual staff members who work at nursing homes, claims are typically filed with the help of a Virginia nursing home abuse lawyer against the home or its owners.
In recent years, many nursing home facilities have been purchased by large investment firms and corporate conglomerates. The New York Times reports that these privately-owned nursing homes are often profitable for shareholders, but that resident care often suffers when the focus of nursing care facilities shifts from caring for their patients to making money.
Many nursing homes routinely hire too few staff members and pay low wages. They often do not provide enough staff to meet residents’ needs, and they provide little training to workers who are responsible for care. When abuse occurs, the policies and practices of the nursing home are evaluated. If the facility is determined to have behaved negligently, in comparison with other similar facilities, victims should be able to recover compensation for their losses and damages that result from that negligence.
In Virginia, the doctrine of respondeat superior also applies to nursing home abuse cases. This legal doctrine makes nursing homes, and other employers, responsible for the actions of their employees. If staff members are negligent or careless in providing patient care while on duty, the nursing home can generally be held responsible.
A Virginia nursing home abuse lawyer can help you to determine if the nursing home was responsible for abuse and neglect you experienced. If there is a legal argument to hold the facility accountable, your attorney can file a claim on your behalf.
Proving a Nursing Home Abuse Case in Virginia
Virginia Code Section 63.2-1808 provides comprehensive information on the responsibilities of a nursing home facility, and on the rights of residents. When a home violates any provisions of this law, or of other regulations like the federal Nursing Home Reform Act of 1987, and a victim suffers damages as a result, the victim may have a legal claim of negligence. Your Virginia nursing home abuse lawyer can help you to determine if you can prove that wrongdoing, carelessness or neglect occurred.
How a Virginia Nursing Home Abuse Lawyer Can Help
A Virginia nursing home abuse lawyer can interview witnesses, subpoena and review nursing home and medical records, consult with experts, and otherwise help you to put together a strong case to prove you or someone you love was the victim of nursing home abuse.
Your Virginia nursing home abuse attorney can also help you identify the proper parties against whom to pursue a claim, , can attempt to negotiate an out-of-court settlement, can file a complaint in court on your behalf, and can help you to prove your case to a jury. To learn more, contact an attorney representing nursing home abuse victims in Virginia.