The Petersburg IL Nursing Home Abuse and Neglect Lawyers at the Noll Law Office Represent those whose Loved Ones Have Been Injured in Illinois Nursing Homes
There are few things harder to do than to allow your loved one to enter a nursing home because they need more care than you can provide. What makes this even more devastating is when someone doesn’t properly take care of your loved one or abuses them, causing pain, suffering, and incalculable emotional damage. At the Noll Law Office, they have seen many situations like this where their clients are unable to recover and suffer the rest of their lives as a result of another person’s negligence, neglect or abuse. If you are the victim or believe your loved one is, contact their Petersburg, IL nursing home abuse lawyer to learn more about how they can help you immediately.
Since 1948, the Noll Law Office has been litigating cases throughout Central Illinois, including Petersburg, Illinois. The lawyers at the Noll Law Office are experienced, local attorneys located a short drive away in Springfield. If you retain them to prosecute your nursing home abuse or neglect case, the lawyers you meet with will remain your lawyers until your case is concluded. You will not be shuffled off to an attorney who is fresh out of law school. You will not need to travel to St. Louis or Chicago to meet with your lawyer. They are local, qualified attorneys who care about their clients. They emphasize client communication and aggressive advocacy. They offer free consultations to see if they are the right lawyers for you and they never take a fee unless they are successful. Call them today at (217) 414-8889.
Common Injuries Found in Nursing Home Abuse and Neglect Cases
While every case is different, some of the most common forms of personal injuries found in nursing home abuse and neglect cases are:
Bedsores
Also known as pressure ulcers, decubitus ulcers, or pressure sores, bedsores normally occur when an Illinois nursing home resident is left in one position for extended periods of time without being moved or repositioned. It does not matter whether the resident is left in a prone position or seated position as pressure injuries can develop in wheelchairs or in a bed. Constant pressure from contact with surfaces can cause the skin to break down.
Illinois nursing home staff are supposed to develop a Comprehensive Care Plan. This care plan should incorporate risk assessments of residents for bedsores. If they have a pressure ulcer, the care plan should require regular skin assessments as well as curative measures.
Other factors that may result in bedsore abuse, neglect, or malpractice in a nursing home include:
- Failure to properly and timely clean wounds and apply bandages
- Lack of springless beds or other special mattresses or devices to alleviate pressure
- No physical examination by a doctor for possible bedsores
- Poor diet and/or nutrition provided by the nursing home
- Acting unreasonably in monitoring, assessing, or treating skin injuries that could develop into pressure ulcers.
Falls (Transfer Falls, Falls Out of Bed, Shower Falls, Falls out of a Bathtub, Slip/Trip and Falls)
Falls and the resulting injuries are common in a nursing home that does not properly create a comprehensive care plan to minimize fall risks for residents. Even if a comprehensive care plan is in place, falls can occur due to transfer injuries, facility understaffing, or other environmental factors which are caused by nursing home negligence.
Moving nursing home residents can create a huge potential for injuries. Individual residents should be assessed to determine their movement needs. Certain residents may require additional assistance getting in and out of bed, getting to the shower, or getting out of bed. Residents will often try and accomplish these tasks on their own if the nursing home staff does not respond to their requests because they are overworked and understaffed. When this happens, residents can sustain serious injuries including broken bones (such as broken legs, broken hips, and broken ankles). They may never walk again and require additional assistance.
If your loved one fell at a nursing home, you should have the circumstances surrounding that fall investigated. The Noll Law Office will investigate the injury and the facts around the injury to determine if the nursing home violated the Illinois Nursing Home Care Act. They
Infections
In any given year, there are between 1,000,000 – 3,000,000 infections in nursing homes in the United States. In addition to pneumonia and urinal tract infections (UTI – which are the most commonly reported infection in nursing homes), MRSA, influenza and staph infections are common. These infections can be extremely dangerous and even deadly to nursing home residents.
Other Common Injuries from Nursing Home Abuse and Neglect in Petersburg, Illinois
- Wrongful death
- Broken bones
- Sepsis
- Scars or disfigurement
- Neck and back injuries
- Blindness
- Nerve injuries
- Exposure to the elements (wandering or elopement and left outside)
- Loss of hearing
- Any other physical injury the nursing home abuse and neglect lawyers at the Noll Law Office can help you recover compensation for.
What Types of Compensation Are Recoverable in an Illinois Nursing Home Abuse and Neglect Case?
Illinois law provides compensation when an Illinois nursing home has violated the Illinois Nursing Home Care Act and bodily injuries have resulted. While each case is different (and assuming liability can be proven), generally speaking, the following forms of compensation are recoverable:
- Past medical expenses – measured from the date of the settlement or jury verdict
- Future medical expenses – an amount of money from the date of the settlement or jury verdict which is estimated to cover all future medical care related to the injury
- Past pain and suffering
- Future pain and suffering
- Medical bills
- Wrongful death damages – burial costs, funeral expenses, and other emotional damages suffered by the decedent’s loved ones (and the decedent) as a result of the nursing homes neglect, abuse, or malpractice
- Attorneys’ fees and costs – Under the Illinois Nursing Home Care Act, attorney fees and costs are awarded if the resident (or their family) prevails.
- Other damages caused by the nursing home’s conduct.
Case Illustration
Janey was a sweet grandmother who was always quick with a smile. When her only child passed away, Janey’s health began to deteriorate, leading her family to encourage her to move into a nursing home. At the age of 82, she was a happy and spirited woman.
About six weeks into her stay, her granddaughter visited and learned that Janey had severe bedsores and open wounds on her back and legs. Even worse, the nurse on duty did not know that she had these painful and infected sores, though they must have been present for some time.
Janey was admitted to the hospital for her wounds, which later required surgery and a wound vac. She spent three weeks in the ICU battling the infections before they took her life.
In this situation, the nursing home neglected Janey and failed to provide proper care for her. The bedsores should have been identified, measured, debrided, and cleaned. Dressings should have been changed regularly. Instead, nothing was done and it cost Janey her life.
At the Noll Law Office, they work aggressively to obtain justice for victims of nursing home abuse and neglect. Residents and their families can struggle through some of the most tragic and heartbreaking situations. The Noll Law Office is here to provide answers as to whether your loved one has been neglected and seeks coverage for their medical bills as well as compensation for pain and suffering. The lawyers at the Noll Law Office hope to provide you with reassurance that there are people out there who will fight for what is right. Meet with the Noll Law Office’s Petersburg, IL nursing home abuse lawyers, for a free initial consultation to determine whether you have a claim under the Illinois Nursing Home Care Act.
Legal Definitions and Duties
Nursing homes have a duty to provide a safe environment for patients. That often means meeting basic hygiene requirements and having enough staff to support the needs of their residents. Nursing homes are required to:
- Provide emergency response when needed
- Prevent abuse and neglect
- Provide medications and manage medications according to doctor prescriptions
- Properly feed and clean patients
- Rotate and support patient skin needs
- Provide supervision
- Allow residents to visit with their families
If you feel your loved one suffered an injury due to the negligence or abuse of nursing home staff or administration, the Noll Law Office’s Petersburg, IL nursing home abuse lawyers want to discuss your potential case at no expense to you.
What to Do If a Loved One Has Been a Victim
If your loved one has suffered injuries or you suspect they may have been abused, you need to take immediate action. That may include filing a complaint with the Illinois Department of Public Health or contacting emergency medical services if they cannot get help. Obviously, if you suspect physical or sexual abuse, you should contact the police immediately. If your loved one passed away, you should insist on an autopsy.
The Noll Law Office highly encourages you to reach out to their Petersburg IL nursing home abuse lawyers if you feel there is a risk to your loved one.
Choosing the Best Nursing Home Abuse Lawyer for Me
Who you choose to represent you is quite important as this is a complicated area of the law. It is not uncommon for nursing homes and their insurance companies to have aggressive insurance adjusters who want to minimize any type of claims and keep the organization’s name out of the spotlight. You need an attorney capable of overcoming these challenges.
Choose an attorney who:
- Has ample experience fighting to protect nursing home patient rights
- Is recognized in the area as an aggressive attorney for pursuing change in this area
- Is trusted to provide fair compensation representation with a winning track record
- Does not charge a fee unless they are successful
- Knows how to file complaints which can affect the facilities licensing
The Noll Law Office is uniquely qualified to help you in these matters. Set up a free consultation with their Petersburg, IL nursing home abuse lawyer today.
Nursing Home Abuse Case Process
The goal in these cases is to gather as much information as possible so that the resident can be removed from any potential abuse or neglect, and a legal action can be filed in Menard County Circuit Court to hold those responsible accountable in a court of law. The process may include:
- Documenting what evidence is available
- Obtaining a complete set of the resident’s medical records including from the nursing home facility and any other medical providers
- Filing a complaint with the Illinois Department of Public Health
- Investigating the abuse or neglect
- Gathering witness statements
- Requesting an expert medical review
- Filing a claim for compensation with the nursing home’s insurance company
- Filing a lawsuit in court
- Presenting the case to a jury
Do I Have a Case?
This is a difficult question to answer without reviewing the medical evidence. To find out if you have a case, set up a free consultation with the Noll Law Office. They will need to review your loved one’s complete medical file so it is important to start obtaining their medical records as soon as possible. However, it is not required to have a complete medical file to meet with them at the free consultation.
That said, those records will be critical to prove negligence occurred and that the nursing home failed to provide the required and expected care to the patient. This is often done through an expert reviewing the case file. The Noll Law Office’s nursing home abuse lawyers in Petersburg, IL, provide a free consultation to help you learn what your legal options are.
How the Noll Law Office Will Help
Call the Noll Law Office today. Let their nursing home abuse attorneys discuss your case with you to determine what your next steps are. They’ll work aggressively to hold those responsible for your loved one’s injuries accountable and fight for the compensation owed.