Michigan City Nursing Home Abuse Lawyer

The ramifications abuse and neglect can have on victims are often severe, regardless of age. The same is true for nursing home patients who might be seriously mistreated by staff, entitling them to compensatory damages in Michigan City.

Regardless of the type of abuse inflicted on a patient, they might suffer various injuries while living in a nursing home. Common ones include sprains, fractures, concussions, lacerations, infections, and medical complications. When proving liability for such harms, our lawyers may use different evidence, beginning with the victim’s medical records. In addition, we will also obtain statements from the appropriate witnesses and experts and preserve any relevant photographic evidence that could help prove victims’ claims, letting them get the damages they need and deserve.

Call (219) 322-1166 for a free and confidential case assessment from Wruck Paupore’s nursing home abuse lawyers.

Physical Harms from Abuse in Michigan City Nursing Homes

Abuse in senior living facilities can have serious physical consequences for victims, causing them injuries that require intensive medical treatment and leaving victims and their families with overwhelming expenses.

Sprains and Fractures

A common indication of abuse is patients routinely having unexplainable injuries, such as sprains and fractures. Abusive staff might claim the victim fell from their own mistake and were not intentionally harmed, potentially allowing mistreatment to continue even if their injuries indicate it.

Abused seniors might suffer broken hips, ankles, shoulders, wrists, arms, and ribs. Untreated fractures might fail to heal properly, causing victims long-term complications and possibly physically limiting them. Broken bones typically take longer to heal with age, which could contribute to victims’ damages from their injuries.

Concussions and Head Injuries

Concussions and other head injuries are also common when abuse happens in nursing homes. Head injuries could cause brain bleeds and other serious complications for victims and often warrant some form of investigation by the facility to determine how the patient was injured. During our investigation into a case, our lawyers will seek to obtain internal abuse or injury reports from a nursing home to evaluate its response to an injury and determine if it was appropriate to identify and end the victim’s mistreatment.

Multiple head injuries from long-term physical abuse could cause permanent damage and be exceptionally expensive to treat. Our nursing home abuse lawyers can help victims and their families organize medical records confirming their injuries and proof of their economic damages for a just recovery. Such injuries typically also warrant considerable pain and suffering damages, which we can also quantify and seek compensation for in Michigan City.

Contusions, Lacerations, and Infections

Physical abuse combined with neglect could cause lacerations that turn into infections or contusions that also go ignored. Severe bruising could indicate internal injuries and should be taken seriously by nursing home staff, especially when coupled with swelling, nausea, and tenderness. This could be a sign of severe internal harm from repeated abuse over long periods. Further testing can help confirm this, such as CT scans and other evaluations.

Medical Complications

Withholding patients’ medications is another form of abuse, one that could cause devastating medical complications. Being unable to take prescribed medication could, in the most severe cases, lead to a victim’s wrongful death, entitling their personal representative to file a claim themselves.

Evidence to Introduce in Michigan City Claims for Nursing Home Abuse

Without evidence of liability, victims cannot hold parties accountable for the abuse they experienced as nursing home residents. Strong evidence in these claims typically includes the victims’ medical records, witness statements, and photographic evidence, all of which our attorneys can help victims and their loved ones preserve for their cases.

The Victim’s Medical Records

A victim’s medical records are vital evidence in any abuse case, as they can show the victim’s previous injuries and help establish a long-term pattern of abuse. We will obtain medical records from the facility the victim previously resided at, as well as records from any treatment they sought. These records can help prove the victim’s injuries and their specific medical damages, so they should not stop treatment for any reason against doctors’ advice.

Witness Statements

Witness statements are some of the most valuable evidence in abuse cases and may come from several sources. For example, there are witnesses who see abuse take place firsthand. They might be fellow residents who witnessed a staff member strike the victim or others who work in the facility who saw the abuser withhold medication. Other witnesses are those whom the victim may have confided in or who know them personally. These may include the victim’s family, friends, other facility residents, therapists, or staff members. Family and friends may attest to the victim becoming consistently more withdrawn and depressed, which are common signs of ongoing abuse, neglect, and mistreatment. We may also get statements from expert witnesses who can explain the impact institutional abuse of any kind may have on a victim, particularly one harmed as a patient by a trusted staff member. Expert witness statements can help express victims’ need for non-economic damages, as can statements from victims themselves. Non-economic damages attempt to compensate patients for their pain and suffering, which can be very great due to abuse.

Photo and Video Evidence

Our lawyers may also use photo and video evidence to ensure victims get the compensation they deserve after enduring abuse as nursing home patients. For example, victims’ families who visit them and witness unhygienic living conditions indicative of neglect may photograph it. They may do the same for any visible injuries they witness. In addition to photos, our lawyers may obtain footage from onsite surveillance cameras at the facility. Preserving photographic evidence is vital, as it can be especially compelling evidence against liable parties.

Call Our Michigan City Attorneys for Help with Your Case Today

Call (219) 322-1166 for a free review of your case from Wruck Paupore’s nursing home abuse lawyers.