Nursing Home Abuse and Neglect Accident Lawyers
Proudly Serving New Jersey Families Since 1927
We trust nursing homes to care for our loved ones. That’s why nursing home abuse and neglect cases in New Jersey can be so frustrating. Suddenly, our loved ones can become seriously ill or injured due to reckless or negligent behavior of people working in nursing homes. That’s why it’s critical that you talk with an experienced, Monmouth County nursing home abuse attorney who can help your family demand the justice you deserve.
At Shebell & Shebell, LLC, our legal team can help you every step of the way with your nursing home neglect or abuse case in New Jersey. Founded in 1927, our law firm has long history and tradition of fighting for the rights of injury victims. That’s why we would be honored to meet with you and explain all your available legal options. That way, you can make informed decisions.
Our law firm has been helping injury victims for generations throughout New Jersey. Founded in 1927, our law firm has the knowledge and skill you need to navigate your way through the legal system. We know what strategies work and we’re prepared to do the work that needs to be done to do the job right.
Causes of Nursing Home Abuse and Neglect Injuries
Nursing home abuse or neglect cases often occur because of the reckless or negligent actions of someone working at a nursing home. More specifically, these causes include:
- Ignoring nursing home residents
- Not carefully monitoring nursing home residents’ health condition
- Physically abusing nursing home residents
- Not bathing or washing residents regularly
- Not feeding nursing home residents enough food
- Understaffing at nursing homes
- Unskilled or untrained workers at nursing homes
These are just a handful of some of the causes of nursing home injuries or illnesses due to abuse or neglect. Whatever the cause of your illness or injury, we want to help you.
Types of Nursing Home Abuse and Neglect Cases
So what are some of the most common types of nursing home neglect and abuse cases? Some of the most common – and most serious – injuries or illnesses often associated with abuse or neglect in nursing homes include:
- Dehydration
- Malnutrition
- Bedsores
- Broken bones
- Depression
- Kidney failure
- Liver failure
In certain cases, it’s not uncommon for nursing home residents to die as a result of nursing home neglect or abuse. Worst of all, many of these injuries or illnesses are preventable. That’s why it’s important for your family to take strong legal action. By doing so, you’re not only acting on behalf of your loved one. Your actions could benefit every resident in the nursing home, as well as other nursing home patients throughout New Jersey.
Are bedsores a sign of neglect?
Bedsores, which may be referred to as pressure ulcers, pressure sores or decubitus ulcers, are one of the most common forms of abuse and neglect at nursing homes and assisted living facilities. Typically caused by unrelieved pressure on the skin due to sitting or lying on one part of the body for a long period of time, bedsores are preventable injuries that may develop into a serious and potentially life-threatening condition.
Areas where bedsores are prone to develop include:
- Lower Back
- Hip
- Tailbone
- Buttocks
- Shoulder Blades
- Back or Side of the Head
- Spine
- Back of the Arm
- Back of the Leg
- Behind the Knee
- Heel
- Ankle
While anyone can get bedsores, those most at risk for developing them are older patients with poor circulation, those with diabetes, patients wearing a cast, and patients with limited mobility, such as those in wheelchairs and those who are bedridden or spend most of their time in chairs. Every year, tens of thousands of people die due to complications from pressure ulcers.
Some of the most common complications associated with bedsores include:
- Cellulitis/Skin Infection
- Bone and Joint Infections
- Sepsis
- Renal Failure
- Tissue Loss
- Cancer
Bedsore symptoms can range in severity from discolored/red skin in the affected area to a deep wound that eats away at the patient’s muscle and bone. Other warning signs include changes in the patient’s skin texture, swelling, pus-like draining, tenderness in the affected area, and skin that feels warm or cold to the touch compared to other parts of the body.
Common causes of bedsores include:
- Poor hydration
- Poor nutrition
- Failure to relieve pressure by frequent moving of the patient
- Failure to keep the skin clean and dry
- Lack of hygiene due to not changing bedding and clothing
- Inadequate inspection of areas prone to pressure ulcers
- Failure to control incontinence
If you notice your loved one has developed bedsores or any other skin condition at a nursing home or assisted living facility, you should take it seriously. Bedsores are often a warning sign of nursing home abuse or neglect.
Are nursing homes liable for falls?
Depending on the specific details surrounding the incident, nursing homes and assisted living facilities that don’t take reasonable measures to prevent patient falls may be held legally responsible for their negligence.
Common forms of nursing home negligence that can cause a patient to fall include:
- Inadequate monitoring of patients
- Failure to appropriately assess a patient’s risk of falling
- Cluttered hallways and walkways
- Poor lighting
- Wet floors
- Beds that aren’t set at the appropriate height
- Malfunctioning bed rails
- Faulty bed alarms
- Failure to appropriately transfer/move the patient
- Medication errors
- Defective wheelchairs/walkers/canes and other walking aides
- Hiring inadequate or unqualified staff
- Improper training of staff members
- Lack of adequate staffing
Frequent falling, or even just one bad fall, can have devastating consequences for nursing home patients – including death. Those who do survive a bad fall may sustain severe and debilitating injuries as a result.
If your loved one was injured in a fall at a nursing home or assisted living facility, contact our Freehold nursing home abuse lawyers right away. We can help you get to the bottom of what happened and demand justice for you and the person you love.
Here for You. Contact Our Nursing Home Abuse Attorneys.
Don’t underestimate the complexity of your nursing home abuse or neglect case. Because your family could be eligible for thousands or perhaps even millions of dollars in financial compensation for your nursing home injury or illness, many nursing homes hire attorneys to vigorously fight these claims and do everything they can to pay families as little as possible.
That’s not right. That’s why we want to meet with you. Our legal team knows how to investigate these complex cases. We know what questions to ask and what evidence matters most. We then present our findings to nursing homes and their lawyers. Many cooperate with us. If not, we’re prepared to take them to court on your behalf.
It is important to know your rights. If you have any questions regarding something that has happened to your loved one in a nursing home or other care facility, call now because strict time limits may apply. Our attorneys are experienced in nursing home abuse and neglect matters and will tirelessly fight to get our clients the justice you deserve.
Put your trust in a New Jersey nursing home abuse lawyer who puts your family’s needs first. Contact our law firm and schedule your free case evaluation today. You have nothing to lose and everything to gain. Our office is located in Shrewsbury, NJ.