Because of the difficult nature when substantiating claims of abuse against yourself or loved ones in nursing homes, you may want to consider the help of an attorney. While compensation for injuries may not erase the memory of neglect, it could help. Chattanooga nursing home abuse damages could be made recoverable when you decide to hold negligent nursing home staff or personnel responsible for their actions.
Recoverable Losses in a Nursing Home Abuse Case
Recoverable damages in nursing home abuse cases include the full range of damages for any type of personal injury case. It includes medical expenses and non-economic harms such as pain and suffering, loss of enjoyment of life, mental anguish, fear, humiliation, and loss of opportunity. If there is abuse that is intentional or recklessness on the part of the nursing home, a claim may be able to vie for punitive damages. These specific damages are used to dissuade a negligent party from committing a similar act of negligence again.
The Unique Nature of Nursing Home Abuse Claims
Nursing home abuse damages are different from other types of personal injury cases because of the condition of the person who suffered the injury. Nursing home patients often do not have a high quality of life, and many have an altered mental state that makes it difficult to prove how much they were able to perceive their injury and how much pain and suffering they suffered. They often receive treatment for other health conditions that threaten their life and maybe contribute to the expectation of a very short life span, future life expectancy. All of these elements could have an impact on nursing home abuse damages more frequently than in most types of injury cases in Chattanooga.
What Goes Into Proving Losses in a Nursing Home Abuse Case
Proving damages in a nursing home abuse case is multifaceted. It includes the types of treatment, how long the injuries lasted, whether the patient has passed away, whether the injuries caused or contributed to the death, whether it made the death come sooner, and what the person’s perception was. It also includes to what extent they experienced pain and suffering, and mental types of damages that go with such injuries. Investigations into these losses are often necessary.
How Friends or Family Could Represent a Loved One
The family or loved ones of an abused patient spend time with the patient, so they should be able to explain to an attorney from their perspective what the patient endured, how he or she experienced the suffering, and the limitations that an injury places on him or her. They need to help the attorney gather the personal information about the patient and elements that are necessary to prove the case. Doing this often involves a monitoring aspect of being close to the victim and helping him or her understand what has happened or what may happen.
How Life Care Plans Could Impact Compensation
A life-care plan projects into the future the type of treatment a patient will likely need. In a nursing home abuse or neglect case, that plan might list the treatments that might be needed in the future because of the damages or injuries that resulted from the abuse or neglect. The plan places a monetary value on those future damages and future expenses that will likely be incurred and give a specific number that is presented as part of the future damages for a person who is dealing with a life-long injury as the result of nursing home abuse or neglect.
Contact a Seasoned Representative Today
After you or your loved one has suffered abuse by a negligent nursing home, you need to consider retaining the services of an experienced attorney. With the help of an attorney, you could recover Chattanooga nursing home abuse damages and hold a negligent party responsible for its actions. Reach out today.
