Greenville Nursing Home Neglect Lawyer

Many families send their loved ones to live in nursing homes to have their medical needs met on a 24-7 basis, so when people discover that their loved ones are not being properly taken care of, it can be heartbreaking. Elder adults are vulnerable in these environments because they rely on care staff to feed them, give them medication, and even perform daily tasks like bathing and using the bathroom.

If you discovered that your loved one is a victim of neglect in a Greenville nursing home, you may qualify to take legal action against the institution. A Greenville nursing home neglect lawyer from Hammack Law Firm can help you demand compensation for any injuries your loved one suffered as well as damages you took on once you discovered the neglect.

Nursing Home Residents’ Health Can Deteriorate if Left Neglected

The National Institute on Aging (NIA) notes that neglect occurs in nursing homes and assisted living facilities when caregivers do not provide residents with medical and basic health needs. Neglect can involve:

• Not feeding residents: Residents do not receive their daily meals or receive assistance to eat their meals. In some cases, residents might receive meals that do not meet their dietary needs or are harmful to their bodies (e.g., allergen triggers).
• Not bathing residents: Residents do not get regular or proper sponge baths, which leaves them dirty and susceptible to infection. Residents may be left unsupervised during bathing times, leading to injury, especially for individuals with dementia or Alzheimer’s, and are prone to confusion.
• Not maintaining residents’ hygiene: Residents who soil themselves may not receive diaper or underwear changes, which can lead to infection or rash. Residents who require assistance with brushing their teeth may develop tooth infections or mouth rot.
• Leaving residents in their room alone for the majority of the day: Residents may be abandoned with little to no medical supervision, which can put them at risk should an injury or sudden heart attack occur. Isolating residents for prolonged periods without opportunity for social interaction can also affect their mental health. Residents may develop major depression due to isolation.
• Not providing medication or medical care to residents: Residents may rely on caregivers to provide daily medications at their appropriate times and dosages. When caregivers neglect to maintain this task, this can affect residents’ health and even risk potential death due to lack of treatment. Residents who injure themselves may get ignored, which can worsen their injuries (e.g., a resident who falls and hurts their wrist may have hand deformation due to a lack of medical care).

If you discover your loved one was neglected during their stay at a Greenville nursing home, you may have options to hold that institution liable for their negligence. Our personal injury lawyers can investigate where your loved one’s nursing home failed to fulfill their duty of care toward them, then build a case on their behalf.

Other Forms of Nursing Home Abuse

In some cases, victims of neglect may also be victims of nursing home abuse, which can exist as:

• Physical abuse
• Emotional or psychological abuse
• Sexual abuse or sexual exposure
• Financial abuse or theft
• Abandonment

Should we discover that your loved one may have been a victim of other types of abuse, we can include these injuries in your case to hold the nursing home accountable.

Our Attorneys Can Help Build Your Case Against the Institution Liable for Neglect

Should you decide to work with a nursing home neglect lawyer from our team, we will:

• Identify the liable party or parties in your case: We must establish which party is liable for your loved one’s injuries or damages. For example, we may hold the nursing home liable as well as the alleged caregivers or individuals who physically abused your loved one.
• Investigate your case to retrieve evidence: Our lawyers will lead an investigation to establish key facts of your case and collect evidence to support those claims. For example, if your loved one fell in their room and no one came to assist them within a reasonable timeframe, we may request video footage that captured how long your loved one lied on the floor in need.
• Handle communications with all involved parties: The nursing home may have its legal representatives reach out for statements or offer settlement deals to quietly close your case. However, these communication attempts can be legal tactics to solicit information from you that can be used to your disadvantage. Our attorneys will protect your case by handling these messages on your behalf.
• Represent your case in negotiation meetings or trial: One of our attorneys will serve as your legal representative throughout your case, whether that involves attending meetings to negotiate a settlement deal or presenting your case in front of a jury in court.

We Can Advocate for Compensation for Multiple Damages on Your Behalf

Depending on what your case involves, you may be eligible for compensation for these damages:

• Current and future medical expenses
• Current and future pain and suffering
• Current and future income loss, including loss of benefits (e.g., Social Security) and pensions
• Emotional anguish, such as depression and anxiety
  Permanent disability or disfigurement
• Property damage, which may include the cash value of stolen or damaged property
• Diminished quality of life
• Loss of enjoyment in life

Wrongful Death Caused by Neglect

In serious cases, neglect can result in a resident’s death. If your loved one passed away due to a lack of proper care in a nursing home, our attorneys want to help you hold the institution accountable through a wrongful death action. Through this type of claim or lawsuit, you may pursue additional damages, such as:

• Funeral expenses
• Loss of consortium
• Loss of parental guidance
• Loss of inheritance
• Loss of companionship, love, and affection

We extend our deepest condolences if you are facing the loss of your loved one. Our lawyers can manage your case for you while you grieve privately, and you can come to us when you want guidance on your case.

South Carolina’s Statute of Limitations Determines How Long You Have to File

S.C. Ann. § 15-3-530 sets the following statutory deadlines for nursing home neglect cases:

• Personal injury: Plaintiffs have three years from the date when their injury occurred or the date when family members discovered the victim suffered an injury because of neglect to file a lawsuit.
• Wrongful death: Plaintiffs have three years from the date of their loved one’s death to file a lawsuit.

Hire a Greenville Nursing Home Neglect Lawyer from Hammack Law Firm Today

If you or a loved one sustained injuries after being left neglected in a Greenville nursing home, a personal injury lawyer from Hammack Law Firm wants to represent your case. We can investigate which parties may be held liable for your damages based on their role in the neglect, then retrieve evidence to support your claims.

Call (864) 326-3333(864) 326-3333 today to receive a free case review by one of our team members. Our attorneys want to ensure that negligent institutions are held accountable so that other nursing home residents do not fall victim to neglect.