Has someone you care about been abused or neglected at a nursing home in Joliet, IL? Are they struggling to recover from serious physical injuries and crippling emotional trauma because of the way they were mistreated? They may be entitled to compensation, and our Joliet nursing home abuse lawyers want to help your family hold the nursing facility and abusive caretakers accountable for the harm they’ve caused.
Zayed Law Offices Personal Injury Attorneys is a nationally recognized civil litigation firm known for fighting for the rights and futures of the injured. Our award-winning Illinois trial lawyers, whose collective experience spans decades, have successfully obtained millions of dollars from nursing facilities, insurance companies, and powerful corporations on behalf of clients like you.
Now, we’re ready to help your family demand justice for how your aging or disabled family member was abused by the nursing home you entrusted with their care. We offer a free consultation, so call our Joliet law office today at (815) 726-1616.
How Zayed Law Offices Personal Injury Attorneys Help Victims of Nursing Home Abuse in Joliet, IL
As our loved ones age, they might require more focused attention and care to prevent falls, manage medical conditions, and navigate the realities of growing older. In theory, a nursing home can be a great option. Residents can be monitored regularly, receive prompt medical care when needed, and spend quality time with peers. However, nursing homes are in the business of making money; thus, resident care and quality of service often suffer.
When a nursing home facility’s care falls short, and someone you love is injured or killed as a result, your family has the right to take legal action to hold them accountable.
At Zayed Law Offices Personal Injury Attorneys, our Joliet personal injury lawyers are consistently recognized for excellence in civil litigation by Newsweek, The National Trial Lawyers, the Million Dollar Advocates Forum, Best Lawyers, Avvo, and Super Lawyers. We’re committed to making a genuine difference in the lives of each and every client we represent. We can offer the skills, knowledge, and resources needed to stand up to powerful corporations and nursing facilities and force them to make things right.
When your family entrusts us with your nursing home abuse case, you’ll be able to count on us to:
- Review any investigations into the allegations of abuse conducted by the local police and/or the Illinois Department of Public Health
- Coordinate an independent inquiry into your family member’s time at the nursing home
- Gather and assess evidence that can be used to build a winning legal claim for damages, such as resident files, medical records, staff notes and communication, nursing facility policies and procedures, witness statements, forensics reports, and video footage
- Assess your damages and calculate what your nursing home abuse lawsuit is worth
- Force the nursing facility and other defendants to make your family a significant settlement offer during negotiations
- Reject lowball settlements and take your nursing home abuse case to trial, if necessary
When someone you love is abused at a nursing home, rehabilitation center, or assisted living facility in Joliet, it can be costly. It’s possible they might require extensive medical treatment and need to move to a safer facility. Don’t let the perceived cost of hiring a lawyer stand between you and the legal representation needed to maximize your recovery.
At Zayed Law Offices Personal Injury Attorneys, we handle nursing home abuse and neglect cases on a contingency fee basis. You pay nothing until we’ve recovered compensation for your family.
Contact our law office to learn more. Your initial case review is free.
What Is Nursing Home Abuse?
Nursing home abuse refers to a caretaker’s intentional or wilful mistreatment of a resident. There are five primary classifications of nursing home abuse: physical, psychological, sexual, neglect, and financial.
Physical Abuse
Physical abuse occurs when a caretaker assaults or causes a nursing home resident physical harm. Examples include hitting, pushing, grabbing with excessive force, and using unnecessarily tight restraints.
Signs and symptoms of physical nursing home abuse can include bruising, cuts, lacerations, broken bones, bed sores, fearfulness around caretakers, and unexpected falls.
Psychological Abuse
Psychological abuse, also known as emotional abuse, is the most common type of abuse seen in nursing facilities. Examples include threats, social isolation, harassment, shaming, and taunting – especially in the presence of other residents or caretakers.
Signs and symptoms of psychological nursing home abuse can include depression, anxiety, fearfulness, agitation, hesitancy to see or speak to family members, rocking back and forth, and averting eye contact.
Sexual Abuse
Sexual abuse occurs when a resident is forced to participate in and/or watch sexual activity with a caretaker or another resident without their consent.
Signs of sexual abuse can include infections, STDs, physical trauma to the genitals, bruises from restraints around the wrists, and unexplained emotional distress.
Neglect
Neglect occurs when a caretaker purposely withholds care from a nursing home resident. This might include refusing to provide necessary medical care, abandonment, withholding food and water, leaving an immobilized resident stuck in a bed or chair, or even failing to provide physical assistance to a resident who is at high risk for falls.
Residents who are neglected may exhibit signs of dehydration, malnutrition, infections, unexplained illnesses, pressure ulcers, fall injuries, and psychological distress.
Financial Abuse
Nursing home residents are at an increased risk of being victimized by financial crimes, including identity theft, misappropriation of funds, and theft of property.
Signs of financial abuse can include unexplained expenses on credit cards or bank accounts and missing property.
What Compensation Can I Recover With a Nursing Home Abuse Claim?
Nursing home abuse can have significant physical, financial, and emotional repercussions. Fortunately, Illinois gives residents and their families the opportunity to pursue monetary damages when there’s evidence of foul play.
These damages, which can include compensation for economic and non-economic losses, can help you manage:
- Current and future medical bills
- Rehabilitation
- Therapy
- Property damage
- Out-of-pocket expenses, such as relocation costs
- Funeral expenses if nursing home abuse causes a family member’s wrongful death
- Pain and suffering
- Emotional distress
- Disfigurement
- Scarring
- Reduced quality of life
- Loss of consortium
- Embarrassment
- Chronic physical pain
Your lawsuit can also seek restitution for theft of financial assets or physical property.
If your nursing home abuse lawsuit goes to trial, a Will County jury may also decide that punitive damages are appropriate. Punitive damages would be awarded to punish the nursing home, caretaker, or another defendant for conduct that was intentional or displayed a conscious disregard for the resident’s well-being.
The nursing home will work hard to downplay any injuries and trauma residents may have suffered while under its care. Their goal is to limit how much – if any – compensation it’s forced to pay for what your family member has experienced.
How Long Do I Have to Seek Compensation For Nursing Home Abuse Injuries in Illinois?
In Illinois, most nursing home abuse lawsuits are subject to a two-year statute of limitations. Most nursing home abuse is ongoing. In these situations, the statute of limitations runs from the date of the last act of abuse that can be recorded.
You must file your personal injury claim before the filing deadline passes. Once time runs out, you’ll lose the ability to hold the nursing home accountable for its actions and recover the compensation you need to move forward.
Schedule a Free Consultation With an Experienced Joliet Nursing Home Abuse Lawyer
You trusted the nursing home to take care of someone you love. They fell short. Now, your family member is struggling to recover from unnecessary injuries and suffering. Zayed Law Offices Personal Injury Attorneys is here to help you demand justice.
Our Joliet nursing home abuse lawyers are accomplished civil litigators with decades of experience and a proven ability to win top case results. We’re not afraid to invest the full resources at our law firm’s disposal to help your family make the most of this incredibly difficult situation.
There’s a limited time to take action, so don’t hesitate to call our top-rated legal team in Joliet for assistance today. There’s no charge for your initial case review.
