If someone you love has suffered from nursing home abuse, you may be entitled to seek compensation. These cases can be emotionally challenging and overwhelming, leaving many families unsure of how to protect their loved ones and pursue justice.
At Mincone Personal Injury Lawyers, we understand the complexities of nursing home abuse cases and are here to help. With over 15 years of experience advocating for Florida accident victims, our dedicated team fights tirelessly to secure the results you deserve.
Contact a trusted Tampa nursing home abuse lawyer today to discuss your rights. Schedule a free consultation with our team at (813) 800-0810, and let us guide you through every step of the process.
How Mincone Personal Injury Lawyers Can Help With a Tampa Nursing Home Abuse Case
It’s heartbreaking when a loved one is not getting the care they deserve in a nursing home. If your loved one is the victim of nursing home abuse, your family could be entitled to compensation for medical expenses, pain and suffering, and other damages.
However, getting the compensation you’re entitled to can be tricky. It’s often hard to prove nursing home abuse, and many families don’t know what to do when their loved one isn’t getting adequate care.
At Mincone Personal Injury Lawyers, our team is experienced with these cases and knows how to get justice for families. We have decades of experience and a track record of success. We’ve won over 1,000 cases for our clients and have recovered millions in settlements and jury verdicts for injured parties in Florida.
When you hire our team, we’ll:
- Investigate and gather evidence to support your claim
- Work with experts to strengthen your case
- Gather documentation and consult with specialists to determine the value of your claim
- File a claim with the nursing home’s insurance company to demand fair compensation
- Negotiate to get a fair settlement
- If necessary, file a lawsuit and represent you in court
- Handle all administrative tasks and comply with all deadlines
- Keep you updated on the status of your case
- Support your family through every step of the process
To learn more about how we can help your family, contact us to schedule a free consultation with a Tampa personal injury attorney.
How Common Is Nursing Home Abuse in Florida?
Unfortunately, nursing home abuse is more common than most people think. Data from the World Health Organization (WHO) on nursing home abuse is troubling. According to statistics:
- Around one in six people over the age of 60 experienced some form of abuse in the last year
- Rates of elder abuse are higher in facilities like nursing homes and long-term care facilities
- Two out of three nursing home staff members admitted to committing some sort of elder abuse in the last year
A recent AARP review ranked Florida nursing facilities 43 out of 50. The state regularly has staffing issues and reports above-average numbers of nursing home abuse. As the population ages, it’s anticipated that nursing home abuse will become increasingly prevalent.
What Is Nursing Home Abuse?
Nursing home abuse is any type of mistreatment of nursing home residents. Nursing home abuse can be:
- Physical: This can include hitting, punching, or withholding necessary medical treatment or care.
- Verbal or emotional: Emotional abuse can include threats, name-calling, and humiliation.
- Sexual: Sadly, sexual abuse is more common in nursing homes than most people think. Staff, medical providers, visitors, or other residents can sexually abuse nursing home patients. Patients with dementia or cognitive disabilities are particularly at risk of sexual abuse.
- Financial: Nursing home residents are often the target of financial abuse. This can include theft, identity theft, and changes to the resident’s will and other financial documents.
- Neglect: Neglect is also a type of nursing home abuse and some of the mistreatment that we see the most. Passive neglect is the most common, which occurs when nursing home staff members don’t have the training or resources to provide adequate care. Active neglect occurs when staff members intentionally withhold care. While active neglect is less common, it does happen.
One difficult aspect of nursing home abuse is that it often goes unreported by victims. Victims with dementia or difficulty communicating are sometimes unable to report the abuse. Other victims don’t report the abuse because they’re embarrassed.
What Are The Signs of Nursing Home Abuse?
The reality is that family members need to be aware of the signs of nursing home abuse and address any concerns immediately. Some common signs of nursing home abuse are:
- Frequent injuries
- Unexplained injuries
- Bruises and cuts
- Changes in personality
- Bedsores
- Weight loss or malnutrition
- Unsanitary conditions
- Changes in hygiene
- Unexplained financial transactions
- Signs of physical restraint
If you notice any of these signs, investigate and report abuse proactively. A Tampa nursing home abuse lawyer can help you navigate the process. You can also report the abuse on the Florida Abuse Hotline.
What Are Injuries Associated with Nursing Home Abuse?
Nursing home abuse can lead to long-term harm to residents and their families. Some of the most common impacts of nursing home abuse are:
- Infections
- Bedsores
- Psychological disorders, including depression and post-traumatic stress disorder
- Broken bones
- Cuts
- Pneumonia
- Financial loss
- Decreased life expectancy
In some cases, nursing home abuse can lead to wrongful death. If you’ve lost a loved one because of nursing home abuse, our team can bring a wrongful death lawsuit on their behalf to ensure the responsible parties are held accountable for their actions.
What Are Common Causes of Nursing Home Abuse in Florida?
Nursing homes are responsible for ensuring that their residents are properly taken care of and not abused. You can hold nursing homes responsible if their staff member’s negligence or intentional acts injured your loved one.
Some of the most common causes of nursing home abuse are:
- Understaffing
- Failure to run background checks when hiring employees
- Inadequate training
- Inadequate supervision
- Failure to properly monitor patients with dementia or Alzheimer’s
- Failure to get necessary medical care when needed
- Negligent security
Understanding the common causes of nursing home abuse can help families recognize warning signs and take action to protect their loved ones, ensuring they receive the care and dignity they deserve.
What Damages Are Available to Victims of Nursing Home Abuse in Florida?
Victims of nursing home abuse are entitled to recover compensation for all of their losses. This includes economic damages and non-economic damages. Economic damages commonly awarded in nursing home abuse cases are:
- Medical bills and expenses
- Rehabilitation costs
- Lost income due to helping an injured loved one
- Counseling
- Restitution when there is financial abuse
- The cost of moving your loved one to a different facility
- Out-of-pocket expenses
In addition, victims are entitled to non-economic damages to compensate them for intangible losses after nursing home abuse. Examples of non-economic damages are:
- Emotional distress
- Anxiety
- Pain and suffering
- Depression
- Post-traumatic stress disorder
Calculating non-economic damages can be complicated. An experienced personal injury lawyer will evaluate your case and work with experts to determine the value of your non-economic damages.
In some cases, victims can also recover punitive damages. Punitive damages are only awarded when there’s clear and convincing evidence of gross negligence or intentional misconduct.
Contact a Tampa injury lawyer to discuss the damages you’re entitled to.
How Long Do I Have to File a Lawsuit for Nursing Home Abuse in Tampa, FL?
Nursing home abuse and neglect are types of personal injury claims. The statute of limitations for personal injury cases in Florida is two years. In most cases, this means families have two years from the date their loved one was injured to file a lawsuit.
Determining when the statute of limitations expires can be complicated in nursing home cases. Sometimes, family members don’t know about the injury to their loved one until a later date, which can extend the limitations period.
It’s vital to comply with the statute of limitations. If you don’t, you’ll lose the right to file a lawsuit against the at-fault party. As soon as you suspect your loved one is being abused or neglected, contact a Tampa personal injury lawyer to ensure your rights are protected.
How Much Does It Cost to Hire a Nursing Home Abuse Lawyer in Tampa?
Tampa personal injury lawyers work on a contingency fee basis. This means they only get paid if their client gets paid through a settlement or verdict. Clients do not pay any upfront or out-of-pocket attorney fees.
Instead, the attorney and client will agree on a contingency fee rate at the start of representation. This usually is between 25% and 40%. If the client receives an award, the agreed-upon percentage of the award goes to the attorney to cover fees.
For example, if the contingency fee rate is 25% and you receive a settlement of $100,000, $25,000 of that would go to your attorney to cover fees. The contingency fee structure works well for clients because they don’t have to pay attorney fees out of pocket, and they know their lawyer is personally invested in their case.
Schedule a Free Consultation With a Tampa Nursing Home Abuse Lawyer
If you’re concerned that a loved one is the victim of nursing home abuse in Florida, a nursing home attorney can help. Mincone Personal Injury Lawyers has experience handling nursing home abuse cases. We know how to investigate to identify abuse and how to get justice for your family. These cases are particularly emotional and difficult, but we’ll support you through every step of the process.
Call, contact us online, or visit our Tampa personal injury office to schedule a free case evaluation with a Tampa nursing home abuse lawyer.
Visit Our Personal Injury Law Office in Tampa, FL
Mincone Personal Injury Lawyers Tampa
1925 E 6th Ave Unit 10
Tampa, FL 33605
Phone: (813) 430-3338
Hours: 24/7
Our firm is located near you. We have an office in Tampa, FL.
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