Was your loved one a victim of nursing home abuse in Harrisburg, PA? An experienced Harrisburg nursing home abuse lawyer at Marzzacco Niven & Associates can help your family fight for justice. You may be entitled to compensation for medical bills, pain and suffering, and more.
Our legal team has decades of combined experience in personal injury law. Over the years, we’ve helped our clients win tens of millions of dollars in compensation for their injuries in Harrisburg truck accidents, dog bites, slip & fall injuries, social security cases in Harrisburg, wrongful death, and more.
Our lawyers are here to help. If you need legal advice, don’t hesitate to contact our law offices in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, or call (717) 231-1640 to schedule a free consultation today.
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How Marzzacco Niven & Associates Can Help With a Nursing Home Abuse Claim in Harrisburg
You trusted a nursing home to care for your loved one. It can be devastating to discover that your loved one was a victim of abuse instead. You deserve to be compensated for your losses–but it can be tough to prove your case and recover the compensation you deserve.
Our experienced injury attorneys in Harrisburg can help. Collectively, our top-rated attorneys have over 120 years of experience. We’ve been recognized by Super Lawyers, Best Lawyers of America, and The National Trial Lawyers “Top 40 Under 40”.
You can count on our award-winning law firm to provide the personal attention and quality results your family needs.
When you choose Marzzacco Niven & Associates to advocate for you, we will:
- Conduct a thorough investigation into your case
- Help protect your loved one’s safety going forward
- Consult leading experts and specialists to establish negligence and assess your case value
- Negotiate with the insurance company to recover a fair settlement
- Argue your case before a jury if the insurance company refuses to play fair
Our Harrisburg personal injury attorneys are ready to put decades of experience to work for you. Just call our personal injury law firm to schedule your free initial consultation today.
What is My Harrisburg Nursing Home Abuse Case Worth?
The value of your Pennsylvania nursing home abuse case depends on many factors. Consulting an experienced lawyer is the best way to find out how much your personal injury claim is worth.
Some factors that our lawyers will analyze include:
- The nature of your loved one’s injuries
- The circumstances surrounding the abuse
- Long-term damage caused by the abuse
- The cost of medical care, counseling, and other expenses
- How the abuse will impact your family’s quality of life
Generally speaking, the more severe the injuries and damage, the higher your settlement or verdict will be.
What Types of Damages Are Available to Victims of Nursing Home Abuse and Neglect?
When a long-term care facility allows abuse or neglect to occur, they can be held liable for damages. You may be entitled to money for your economic damages, including:
- Past and future medical expenses
- The cost of moving to a new facility
- Your lost wages while you help your loved one cope
- Restitution in cases involving financial abuse
- Counseling
- Hospitalization
- And more
Your family also deserves to be compensated for personal losses, called non-economic damages. These damages include:
- Pain and suffering
- Emotional distress
- Disfigurement or scarring
- Depression
- Anxiety
- PTSD
- Loss of enjoyment of life
Courts may also award punitive damages in nursing home abuse cases. These damages punish the responsible party for gross negligence or intentional acts.
We Handle All Types of Nursing Home Abuse Claims in Harrisburg, PA
Nursing home abuse can take many shapes and sizes. All forms of nursing home abuse and neglect can cause serious damage. Victims often suffer both physical injuries and emotional damage.
At Marzzacco Niven & Associates, we handle all types of nursing home abuse cases in Harrisburg, including:
Physical Abuse
Physical abuse is one of the most common types of nursing home abuse. In fact, in one survey, 10% of nursing home employees admitted to committing at least one act of physical abuse. 36% of nursing home residents witnessed abuse.
Physical abuse can take many forms, including hitting, kicking, shoving, burning, slapping, dand pushing.
Sexual Abuse
Vulnerable nursing home residents are much more likely to be the victim of sexual abuse than healthier adults. Many nursing home residents suffer from diseases like dementia or Altzheimer’s. These individuals may be unaware that the sexual abuse is happening.
Psychological Abuse
Psychological abuse is the most common form of nursing home abuse. Unfortunately, it’s also one of the most difficult to detect. Emotional abuse can include:
- Bullying
- Demeaning remarks
- Humiliation
- Isolation
- Yelling
- Name calling
- Threats and intimidation
Psychological abuse can be just as damaging as physical abuse–if not more so.
Financial Exploitation
Financial abuse happens when nursing home staff members take advantage of a vulnerable patient’s finances. Financial abuse can include outright theft–like opening a credit card in a resident’s name. It can also include more subtle actions, such as coercing a resident to change beneficiary designations on financial accounts.
Nursing Home Neglect
Nursing home neglect can be as dangerous as outright abuse. Nursing homes are often understaffed. However, nursing homes are still required to provide residents with food, water, medications, and other necessities.
Failure to provide these necessities is a type of abuse.
Signs and Symptoms of Nursing Home Abuse
It’s important to pay close attention to the signs and symptoms of nursing home abuse. Some signs to watch for include:
- Unexplained bruises or injuries
- Repeated injuries or fractures
- Marks on the ankles or wrists
- Fear of speaking around nursing home staff members
- Poor hygiene
- Unsanitary living conditions
- Self-hugging, rocking, or other unusual behaviors
- Pelvic fractures
- Bed sores
- Depression or withdrawal
- Unexplained weight loss
- Malnutrition or dehydration
- Personality changes
- Unexplained financial transactions
- Unusual credit activity
- Agitation or frustration
Remember, many nursing home residents are reluctant to report abuse. They may be humiliated or afraid that they’ll suffer additional abuse if they speak up.
We’ll Fight to Recover Compensation for All of Your Nursing Home Abuse Injuries
When someone in an assisted living facility is abused, the injuries can be extreme. Victims often suffer physical injuries, including:
- Broken bones
- Concussions
- Cuts and lacerations
- Soft tissue damage
- Brain injuries
- Spinal cord injuries
- Head and neck injuries
- Concussions
- Burns
Some injuries are so severe that they can eventually lead to your loved one’s wrongful death.
In addition to these physical injuries, victims often become severely depressed and anxious. Some can experience PTSD for years to come. At Marzzacco Niven & Associates, our lawyers will fight to recover fair compensation for all of your loved one’s injuries. Just call our law firm to schedule a free case evaluation today.
What Causes Most Cases of Nursing Home Abuse in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania?
Nursing home abuse happens for many different reasons. Some staff members are simply intent on causing harm. Other times, conditions make it easy for employees to take advantage of vulnerable residents.
Some common causes of abuse in assisted living facilities include:
- Negligent hiring practices, including failure to properly screen nursing home employees
- Failure to properly train and supervise staff
- Understaffing
- Underfunding
- Poor management
- Medical neglect
- Medical malpractice
In the end, nursing home abuse usually occurs because someone was negligent. Often, it’s the nursing home itself that can be held liable for abuse.
If you have questions about your legal rights or elder law generally, call our team in Central Pennsylvania today. We offer a free case review, so don’t hesitate to pick up the phone and learn more about our practice areas.
How Do I Establish Liability If My Loved One Was a Victim of Nursing Home Abuse in Pennsylvania?
Your loved one’s abuser can be held liable for their intentional actions. However, it’s also possible that someone other than the abuser may be responsible for damages. When a nursing home’s negligence allows the abuse to happen, the nursing home itself can be held responsible.
You can recover damages based on negligence if you can show:
- The nursing home had a legal duty of care
- Breached its duty
- The breach caused the abuse to happen
- Your loved one sustained damages
Further, employers can often be held responsible for their employees’ actions. This legal theory is called vicarious liability.
Our lawyers will launch a full investigation so that we can understand the circumstances surrounding the abuse. Our team will:
- Interview nursing home employees and residents
- Locate any past history of safety violations
- Examine the nursing home’s hiring policies and procedures
- Hire respected experts and specialists to evaluate your case
You know that something went wrong. It isn’t always easy to prove what happened. Let our experienced Harrisburg nursing home abuse attorneys take the lead. Give us a call today to learn more about how we can help.
How Long Do I Have to File a Nursing Home Abuse Lawsuit in Pennsylvania?
Under Pennsylvania law, most victims have two years to file a personal injury lawsuit. Once the deadline passes, you’ll lose your right to compensation.
Contact a Harrisburg Nursing Home Abuse Lawyer for a Free Consultation
No one should have to suffer the effects of nursing home abuse. An experienced Harrisburg nursing home abuse lawyer at Marzzacco Niven & Associates can help your family fight for justice. Call our law offices for a free case review today.
Our team of attorneys at Marzzacco Niven & Associates also has a workers’ compensation attorney in Harrisburg, PA, and a social security disability attorney.
Visit Our Personal Injury Law Office in Harrisburg, PA
Marzzacco Niven & Associates
945 E Park Dr Suite 103, Harrisburg, PA 17111
(717) 231-1640
Our personal injury law firm in Harrisburg, PA also provides:
- Brain Injury Lawyers in Harrisburg, PA
- Bicycle Accident Attorneys in Harrisburg, PA
- Car Accident Attorneys in Harrisburg, PA
- Catastrophic Injury Lawyer in Harrisburg, PA
- Child Injury Attorney in Harrisburg, PA
- Nursing Home Abuse Lawyers in Harrisburg, PA
- Product Liability Lawyer in Harrisburg, PA
- Social Security Lawyer in Harrisburg, PA
- Taxi Accident Lawyers in Harrisburg, PA
- Truck Accident Attorney in Harrisburg, PA
- Workers’ Comp Lawyer in Harrisburg, PA