As the population ages and more people require supportive care, obtaining a bed in a nursing home can be a relief. Unfortunately, a place in a nursing home does not guarantee that your loved one will receive the care they need. Neglect in Orlando nursing homes remains a persistent problem.
The attorneys at Colling Gilbert Wright represent nursing home patients and their families in abuse and neglect cases. Our impressive record of success in these cases means that most of our clients are referrals from satisfied former clients or fellow lawyers who recognize our knowledge and skill.
Nursing Home Neglect Explained
Nursing home patients are vulnerable because they depend on facility staff to meet many of their basic needs. Neglect occurs when the staff unintentionally fails to meet a patient’s needs and the patient suffers harm as a result. This is distinct from nursing home abuse, which is intentional.
Nursing home neglect can take many forms. Some of the more common examples include:
- Residents losing weight or becoming dehydrated
- Wandering due to failure to supervise patients
- Medication errors
- Failing to adequately monitor patients’ health conditions
- Patient falls
- Bed rail accidents
- Bedsores
- Failing to keep patients and bedding clean
Leaving patients alone with no possibility for social interaction can be another form of neglect.
Neglect can have an outsized impact on a nursing home patient. Bedsores can easily become septic and cause death. Similarly, patients may suffer severe injuries or death if they fall, wander away from the facility, or receive the wrong medication. If your loved one suffered documentable harm because an Orlando nursing home failed in its responsibility toward your loved one, contact our attorneys to discuss whether you may have a neglect claim.
How Do You Prove Neglect in a Nursing Facility?
When you notice a situation in a nursing home that seems related to neglect, acting immediately is important. Speak with the administrator immediately and follow up in writing, saving all correspondence, voicemails, messages, and emails. You can also make a report online to the Florida Agency for Healthcare Administration.
Keep a record of any signs of neglect you notice, including the patient’s name, the date and time, and the identity of any staff you speak with. If your loved one can communicate, try to find out as much as you can about the situation from their point of view.
Contact a nursing home neglect lawyer at the Orlando office of The Florida Firm Injury and Accident Lawyers. Our team will investigate whether the facility maintains adequate staffing, assess the quality of staff training and supervision, and review compliance with regulatory standards for these facilities. If we note deviations or deficiencies, we could pursue a claim against the facility.
Compensation Claims for Neglect
Florida Statutes § 400.023 allows nursing home patients and their guardians or family members to sue a nursing home for damages if the facility provides negligent care. The patient can seek reimbursement of medical expenses resulting from the neglect and money for their pain and suffering. Sometimes neglect is fatal and in that case, the family members can sue for wrongful death.
The claims process begins when we send a letter to the nursing home and its insurer describing our claim and the compensation we seek, which is called damages. In most cases, negotiations produce a settlement agreement within a few weeks or months. If the parties cannot agree, we will take the case to trial.
Damages in these cases can be substantial. Our Orlando attorneys have obtained high-dollar settlements and verdicts in numerous cases of nursing home neglect. Representative cases involve patients who developed bedsores, a patient who died of exposure after wandering, and patients who died due to bedrail accidents, falls, and choking.
Pursue Compensation for Nursing Home Neglect With Our Orlando Attorneys
Nursing home neglect can cause patients to suffer physically and emotionally. If you suspect your loved one is a victim, you must advocate for them with the nursing home administration, the regulatory agencies, and the courts.
When you work with us at The Florida Firm Injury and Accident Lawyers, you get vigorous advocacy with no upfront costs—we only collect fees or expenses after we successfully conclude your case. Contact us today to get justice for someone suffering from neglect in Orlando nursing homes.