Were you or a loved one injured due to nursing home abuse in La Jolla, California? Pines Salomon Personal Injury Lawyers is here to help. Call (858) 551-2090 today to schedule a free consultation with a compassionate La Jolla nursing home abuse lawyer who can fight for the justice your family deserves.
Nursing home abuse is a serious betrayal of trust that no family should have to face alone. If someone you care about was harmed in a long-term care facility, it’s important to understand your legal rights. Contact our La Jolla law office to speak with an attorney who will listen to your story and help you explore your next steps.
Why Should I Call Pines Salomon Personal Injury Lawyers for Help With a Nursing Home Abuse Case in La Jolla?
At Pines Salomon Personal Injury Lawyers, we understand how devastating it is to discover that a loved one may be suffering from abuse in a nursing home. If you’re dealing with this in La Jolla, CA, our experienced legal team is ready to stand by your side and fight for justice.
Here’s why families throughout La Jolla have trusted us with their most sensitive cases:
- Our attorneys bring over 80 years of combined experience handling complex and emotionally charged personal injury cases.
- We’ve secured more than $100 million in verdicts and settlements for injured clients and their families.
- Our firm has received top honors, including recognition by Super Lawyers and America’s Top 100 Personal Injury Attorneys.
- Martindale-Hubbell awarded us its highest AV rating for legal skill and ethical standards.
- We are not intimidated by large corporations and will aggressively challenge nursing homes that try to avoid accountability.
- We provide clear, compassionate legal guidance so that you understand your rights and options from the very first call.
If you need help, call today to schedule your free consultation with a La Jolla personal injury attorney.
What Is My La Jolla Nursing Home Abuse Case Worth?
Key factors that we’ll analyze as we assess the value of your personal injury case include:
- The nature of the abuse and the nature of the abuser’s actions
- How long the abuse persisted
- The type of harm involved
- How your loved one suffered due to the abuse
- Your expenses, including medical treatment costs, rehab, and lost income
- Whether your loved one will suffer an ongoing physical or mental harm
- Steps the nursing home failed to take to prevent the abuse
Our La Jolla nursing home abuse attorneys are here to fight for every available cent. We’re passionate about holding assisted living facilities accountable for their failures.
As we work toward a full financial recovery, we’ll work with recognized experts and specialists who can testify about the pain and trauma your family has suffered.
What Types of Damages Are Available to Victims of Nursing Home Abuse in La Jolla?
Both economic damages and non-economic damages are available in California personal injury cases.
Economic damages are meant to make you whole again from a financial perspective. They may include:
- Past and future medical expenses
- The cost of transferring to a new long-term care facility
- Physical therapy
- Mental health treatment
- Property damage and restitution in financial abuse cases
- Your lost wages if you missed work to provide needed care and help
Non-economic damages are often significant in nursing home abuse cases. Abuse takes an enormous toll on the victim and their family. Examples might include:
- Physical pain and suffering
- Emotional distress
- Anxiety disorders
- Fear
- Depression
- PTSD
- Diminished quality of life
- Physical disfigurement and scarring
- Reduced life expectancy
Punitive damages may also be on the table. When someone intentionally harms another, courts have the authority to award punitive damages as punishment and to deter future similar acts.
How Much Does It Cost To Hire a Lawyer To Handle a Nursing Home Abuse Case in California?
Legal representation shouldn’t pose yet another financial burden. That’s why our law firm works on a contingency fee basis. You won’t owe us anything at the outset. Instead, you’ll agree to pay a portion of your final settlement or jury verdict.
We Handle All Types of Nursing Home Abuse Claims in La Jolla
Nursing home abuse occurs anytime when a resident is harmed because of the actions of the facility or its caregivers. Nursing home abuse cases often involve intentional wrongdoing on the part of caregivers. They can also be based on neglect.
There are multiple types of nursing home abuse, including:
Physical Abuse
Physical abuse can involve outright hitting, kicking, slapping, and other destructive physical contact. It can also involve the use of unnecessary or overly tight restraints. Forced feeding and forced medicating can also result in physical pain and harm.
Nursing home residents are often extremely vulnerable to injuries. Any type of violence can result in injuries. Violent behavior can also leave the victim struggling with severe mental trauma and distress.
Emotional or Psychological Abuse
Emotional abuse is all too common. It occurs when a resident is forced to endure insults, threats, intimidation, humiliation, and other types of mental suffering. Forced isolation can also cause deep psychological scars.
Even though the abuse is entirely verbal, it can result in significant harm to the victim.
Financial Abuse
Financial exploitation in nursing homes has become much more common in recent years. Financial exploitation can involve:
- Theft of the resident’s personal property
- Identity theft, such as opening credit cards in the victim’s name
- Forgery
- Coercing a resident into changing a will or beneficiary designations
Unfortunately, vulnerable nursing home residents are often a target for these and other financial crimes.
Sexual Abuse
Many different actions can amount to sexual abuse. Any time a resident is forced to either engage in or witness unwanted sexual activity, it’s considered abusive.
Nursing Home Neglect
Nursing home residents can suffer physical harm and mental trauma because they’re neglected by caregivers. Most nursing home residents enter a nursing home because they’re unable to live safely at home. They may require help with even the most basic activities.
Failing to provide proper nutrition, medication, and supervision can cause significant damage.
Victims of Nursing Home Abuse in La Jolla Are Often Left Struggling With Long-Term Injuries
The physical injuries caused by abuse can be particularly devastating for vulnerable residents. Examples include:
- Broken bones, concussions, and other fall-related injuries
- Bed sores
- Infections
- Internal injuries caused by malnutrition or dehydration
- Injuries resulting from improper medical care
- Broken hips
- Brain and spinal cord injuries
Of course, not all victims suffer physical injuries. Victims of financial abuse often struggle with long-term financial insecurity. Victims of emotional abuse may become depressed, withdrawn, and unable to enjoy life.
When you hire Pines Salomon Personal Injury Lawyers, you can count on our lawyers in La Jolla to fight for compensation that accounts for all of your family’s losses.
Why Does Nursing Home Abuse Occur?
It’s really difficult to understand why a caregiver would intentionally harm a vulnerable resident. The better question might be: why is nursing home abuse and neglect allowed to occur. After all, nursing homes themselves are subject to strict regulation and licensing in California.
Some reasons why nursing home abuse happens include:
- Failure to conduct proper background checks on caregivers
- Lack of meaningful supervision and training, or lack of oversight
- Understaffed facilities
- Overcrowding
- Caregivers who are overworked and exhausted
- Dangerous property conditions that can pose a hazard for vulnerable residents
Nursing home residents have specific rights under California law. Those rights include a right to be free from any type of abuse–verbal, physical, or otherwise.
What Is the Legal Basis for My Nursing Home Abuse Claim in La Jolla?
When a resident is harmed in a long-term facility, different legal theories can apply. The relevant legal basis will depend on how your loved one was harmed.
Your case may depend on:
- Vicarious liability theories
- Intentional torts
- Premises liability theories, if your loved one was harmed due to unsafe conditions in the nursing home
If your loved one has been harmed in a care facility, call today to speak with a La Jolla personal injury attorney and schedule your free consultation.
How Long Do I Have to File a Lawsuit Based on Nursing Home Abuse in California?
A two-year statute of limitations governs most California personal injury cases. You have two years from the date of a physical injury to take legal action.
The deadline can become messy in nursing home abuse cases. The victim may be unable to report the abuse. You may not discover it for some time. When in doubt, call a lawyer sooner rather than later.
Contact a Trusted La Jolla Nursing Home Abuse Lawyer for a Free Consultation
If your family has discovered a loved one has been abused in La Jolla, CA, call Pines Salomon Personal Injury Lawyers today. An experienced La Jolla nursing home abuse lawyer can take immediate steps to help.
