Has someone you love been abused in a nursing home setting in Sidney, OH? Contact the Law Office of Michael J. Tremoulis at (937) 240 4040 for a free consultation with an experienced Sidney nursing home abuse lawyer. Your family may be able to recover compensation for medical bills, pain, trauma, and more.
Our attorneys have over 150 years of combined experience in personal injury law. Since we opened our doors, we’ve recovered tens of millions of dollars in settlements and verdicts. Your loved one has legal rights, and it’s important to understand them.
Why Choose the Law Office of Michael J. Tremoulis to Help My Family With a Nursing Home Abuse Claim in Sidney, OH?
The Law Office of Michael J. Tremoulis has earned over 100 five-star reviews on Google. Our Sidney personal injury attorneys know every insurance trick in the book, and we know exactly how to help you fight the deep-pocketed corporations that will try to take advantage of your family.
Additionally, members of our legal team have been recognized by:
- Super Lawyers
- Best Lawyers
- The National Trial Lawyers Top 40 Under 40
Victims and their families turn to our lawyers for compassionate support, skilled legal advocacy, and personalized attention. We know how to hold negligent nursing home facilities accountable.
Contact our law office serving Sidney, Ohio, to arrange a free consultation.
An Overview of Nursing Home Abuse in Ohio
Nursing home abuse is a widespread problem. According to a WHO study, one in six people aged 60 and older experienced some type of abuse in a community living setting during a one-year period.
Nursing home abuse occurs any time a caregiver mistreats a nursing home resident and causes some type of harm. That harm can be physical, mental, or even financial.
What Are Different Types of Nursing Home Abuse?
The five primary types of nursing home abuse include:
Physical Abuse
A caregiver physically abuses a resident anytime they do something that causes the resident to suffer physical harm. That could include hitting, slapping, hair-pulling, and kicking. The unnecessary use of restraints can also cause significant physical harm.
Emotional Abuse
Emotional abuse is one of the most commonly reported forms of abuse. Belittling, name-calling, intimidation, and other forms of mental abuse can cause significant harm.
Mental abuse may initially be invisible. However, it can quickly cause physical side effects. Victims of emotional abuse often become depressed, withdrawn, and fearful. They may stop eating, refuse medications, and generally withdraw from community activities.
Sexual Abuse
A nursing home resident is sexually abused anytime they’re forced to watch or engage in sexual activities. Sexual abuse often goes undetected — often because the victim is ashamed. In other cases, the victim may suffer from memory issues and may not even be aware that they’ve failed to report the abuse.
Financial Exploitation
Ohio nursing home residents are often the target of identity theft, fraud, coercion, and other financial crimes. Financial exploitation can be incredibly harmful. In the most extreme cases, it can leave a victim struggling with financial insecurity for the rest of their lives.
Nursing Home Neglect
Nursing home residents can suffer even if a caregiver never lays a hand on them or says a word.
Nursing home neglect can include:
- Withholding food or water
- Failure to provide needed medications and medical care
- Failure to provide the supervision and assistance a resident needs
- Unsanitary conditions caused by poor facility maintenance
Neglect can be active or passive. In some cases, caregivers simply don’t have the resources to provide adequate care. In others, they actively ignore their responsibilities.
How Much Is My Family’s Sidney Nursing Home Abuse Case Worth?
Important considerations as we assess the value of your family’s nursing home abuse claim include:
- The severity of the injuries
- The extent of the emotional trauma your loved one has suffered
- Damage to your loved one’s quality of life
- Financial costs associated with moving, medical care, rehabilitation, etc.
- The nature of the abuse
- How long your loved one has been forced to endure the abuse
Insurance companies are much more likely to offer full settlements when they know a victim is represented by an experienced attorney.
What Types of Damages Are Available to Victims of Nursing Home Abuse in Sidney?
Damages in personal injury cases represent specific losses and needs created by the at-fault party. As such, the types of available compensation depend on the nature of your family’s losses.
Victims of nursing home abuse can pursue economic damages and non-economic damages.
Examples include:
- Medical expenses
- Anticipated future medical costs
- Therapy and rehabilitation
- Increased living expenses in a new facility
- Out-of-pocket expenses
- Restitution in cases involving financial exploitation
- Pain and suffering
- Emotional distress
- Anxiety
- Depression
- PTSD
- Reduced life expectancy
- Diminished quality of life
Our attorneys will also demand punitive damages if available. Punitive damages in Ohio are available under rare circumstances to punish a defendant for malicious or egregious conduct and deter similar acts in the future.
How Much Does It Cost to Hire a Nursing Home Abuse Lawyer in Ohio?
Our law firm represents victims on a contingency fee basis. Your family pays nothing unless your attorney recovers compensation in your case.
If we win, we’re paid a percentage of your family’s settlement or verdict. You’ll agree to that percentage when you hire us. We can discuss this fee structure in detail during your free consultation. The important thing to remember is that there are no upfront costs, and your family won’t owe us anything if we fail to recover compensation.
Who Is Liable for Damages in a Nursing Home Abuse Case?
Many victims wonder how they can possibly recover full compensation from a nursing home employee who may have limited resources. The law allows you to file a claim against any party that played a direct or indirect role in the abuse.
Aside from the abusive party, examples of responsible parties might include:
- The nursing home
- A corporation that owns and operates a chain of nursing homes
- Medical professionals
- Third-party contractors that supply nursing, therapeutic, and medical staff
- Certified nursing assistants
- Facility administrators
Identifying all responsible parties is critical to recovering full compensation. Our nursing home abuse attorneys in Sidney will immediately begin investigating. We have the tools to locate all sources of compensation.
What Are Some Common Causes of Nursing Home Abuse in Sidney?
Understanding why the abuse occurred is important. As employers, nursing homes can be held vicariously responsible for the abusive acts of their employees.
They can also be held directly responsible for their own actions and omissions.
Some potential causes of nursing home abuse include:
- Failure to conduct proper or sufficient background checks on caregivers and employees
- Inadequate supervision
- Lack of oversight and accountability
- Understaffed facilities
- Inadequate funding or cost-cutting to maximize profits
- Failure to develop adequate policies and procedures to prevent abuse
- Failure to adequately respond to complaints
- Hiding the abuse or handling situations internally to avoid bad press
In the end, nursing homes are often motivated by profit. Cutting corners is unfortunately common and makes it much more likely that abuse will occur.
How Long Does My Family Have to File a Lawsuit for Nursing Home Abuse in Ohio?
In Ohio, the deadline is often two years from the injury. If the nursing home abuse claim qualifies as a medical malpractice claim, the deadline may be just one year. The safest approach is to speak with a personal injury attorney in Sidney as soon as you discover the abuse so that steps can be taken to protect your family’s right to seek compensation.
Call a Trustworthy Sidney Nursing Home Abuse Lawyer for a Free Case Review Today
Our team at the Law Office of Michael J. Tremoulis is passionate about helping victims get the money they need and deserve. With over 150 years of experience and tens of millions of dollars recovered, we have the skills and the resources to build a strong case on your family’s behalf. Reach out to us today to schedule a free consultation with a Sidney nursing home abuse attorney.
