Buckhead Nursing Home Abuse Lawyers
Residents in Buckhead nursing homes should expect to live in comfort and stability. After all, these facilities employ licensed nurses and assistants who have a duty to care for the well-being of residents. Unfortunately, due to either mistakes or instances of intentional abuse, injuries that affect nursing home patients can happen.
If your relative has been neglected or abused in an elder care facility, a Buckhead nursing home abuse lawyer is available to help. A compassionate personal injury attorney could explain the obligations of nursing homes to protect their residents and pursue lawsuits that seek compensation necessary to set things right.
The Nursing Home Residents’ Bill of Rights
Every nursing home must comply with all requirements to obtain a state license. This includes adhering to all Georgia laws that mandate the protection of residents. Specifically, state law provides a nursing home residents’ Bill of Rights. This collection of protections determines the right of residents to live in dignity, as well as enjoy protection against harm or abuse. According to state law, residents of nursing homes have the right to:
- Receive information about their medical condition;
- Receive care that is appropriate to their condition;
- Object to a proposed transfer to another facility;
- Enjoy treatment that provides appropriate respect and dignity;
- Be free from unreasonable restraints; and
- Privacy.
Violations of any of these provisions may be an indicator of nursing home abuse. In addition, these facilities have a more general obligation to keep their residents safe from harm. This includes providing protection against accidental injuries, as well as those that result from abusive staff members. A nursing home that fails to provide this protection is liable for any harm that follows. A Buckhead nursing home abuse attorney could provide more information about the Bill of Rights and how it impacts the lives of nursing home residents.
Pursuing a Legal Remedy After Suspicions of Abuse
Nursing home abuse can take on many forms and affect every part of a resident’s life. Whenever these abuses result in a physical injury, residents have the right to seek restitution.
The first step involves reporting the suspected abuse to the state ombudsman for the care of the elderly. The Official Code of Georgia Annotated § 31-8-57 allows any person who has a reasonable suspicion of abuse to file an official complaint. This could lead to a formal investigation that punishes the nursing home and the abusers themselves.
However, to collect monetary compensation, it is often necessary to pursue a private lawsuit with help from an elder care neglect lawyer in Buckhead. These lawsuits attempt to hold abusive staff members and nursing homes jointly liable for ensuing losses, both economic and non-economic. An attorney could connect an injury to a failure on the part of a nursing home to provide protection from accidental injuries or shield residents from abusive staff members.
Seek Justice with a Buckhead Nursing Home Abuse Lawyer Now
Every nursing home has a duty under the law to protect its residents from harm. This includes taking steps to prevent accidental injuries and only hiring staff members who will not intentionally abuse residents. Harm that results from a failure to adhere to this duty means that a nursing home must pay for those failures.
A Buckhead nursing home abuse lawyer might be able to help residents and their families collect these payments. Reach out now to schedule an appointment and learn what steps you can take to help your loved one achieve some kind of peace.
