Nursing Home Lawyers in Eugene, OR
Justice and Protection for Your Loved One
Justice and Protection for Your Loved OneThe elderly are some of the most vulnerable members of society and deserve to live their lives with peace and dignity. Nursing homes exist to help make this happen. However, some of these establishments fail in their duty of care to their residents, which often manifests as substandard -- and sometimes abusive -- treatment. If this has happened to your loved one, our nursing home lawyers in Eugene, OR, can help.
Unfortunately, nursing home abuse is not rare. It is common knowledge that it regularly occurs in every state in the country. In times past, nursing home abuse was swept under the rug, but it is now a national concern. Statistics are clear that the abusive treatment of seniors inside care homes is a public health concern.
If you have a loved one who has experienced abuse in a nursing home, you have recourse through the law. You may be entitled to compensation or other remedies for any injuries or losses you or your loved one suffered from nursing home abuse. Strong Law’s nursing home abuse attorneys in Eugene, OR, can help. Call (206) 741-1053 today for a free consultation.
Our Nursing Home Lawyers in Eugene, OR, Can Get Justice for Your Loved One
The Laws Are on the Side of Your Loved One
Although nursing home abuse is a problem in this country, various laws address this awful occurrence. Both federal and state legislation give authorities and loved ones recourse when abuse is discovered.
At Strong Law, our Eugene nursing home abuse lawyers take immediate steps to end the abuse your loved one may be suffering and get them justice in the form of monetary compensation when appropriate. We will investigate your loved one’s circumstances and take whatever legal action is necessary to help ensure their safety and financial well-being.
Why Choose Us?
Our Eugene Nursing Home Abuse Lawyers Know How to Win Cases
When we take a case at Strong Law, we do not waiver from our No. 1 goal: getting our clients the relief they need. Our passion makes us formidable adversaries, and we fight tirelessly for those we represent.
Nursing home abuse can cause all manner of damage for you and your loved ones. Although you may be entitled to compensation for these damages, the actual process of achieving this is often made quite difficult by insurance companies.
Strong Law founder Jed Strong was an in-house attorney for one of the biggest insurance companies in the nation. However, he quickly tired of working to pay injury victims less than what they deserved. After leaving the insurance company with in-depth knowledge of how these companies work, he started Strong Law.
By trusting us with your nursing home abuse case, you get:
- A firm with a 98% success rate
- Seasoned Eugene lawyers with years of experience
- Eugene nursing home abuse lawyers who know how insurance companies work
- A direct line to our team that is open 24 hours a day
- A firm with a history of satisfied clients
- A firm that keeps you informed of the progress of your case
- Professionals who listen.
Justice is available for your loved one, and financial relief can be yours. Contact us today at (206) 741-1053 for a free consultation.
How Our Skilled Eugene, OR, Nursing Home Lawyers Can Help
The law is a strong tool for addressing nursing home abuse. Our experienced nursing home abuse attorneys in Eugene, OR, use it to accomplish two main goals: protecting your loved one and getting your loved one and your family compensated for the damages you have suffered.
Protecting Your Loved One
Strong Law attorneys will immediately work to get your loved one safe if they are still facing a dangerous situation. Upon taking your case, there are a variety of actions our nursing home lawyers in Eugene, OR, will take, including:
- Immediately address and remove your loved one from the dangerous situation
- Report the abuse to the appropriate authorities
- Document the abuse for future litigation purposes.
Once your loved one is safe and their situation is stabilized, your nursing home attorneys in Eugene will begin preparing a claim for damages.
Pursuing Compensation
As stated, you and your loved one may be owed compensation for damages caused by the nursing home. This process requires exacting attention to detail and procedural requirements. Some of the tasks your nursing home lawyers in Eugene, OR, will accomplish include:
- Gathering and preserving evidence for your claim, including police reports, medical records, video footage, witness testimony, and employee work logs
- Strategizing to develop the strongest case for maximum compensation
- Filing your lawsuit in a timely manner
- Calculating the monetary value of your case
- Responding to insurance companies and the defendants’ attorneys
- Taking your case to trial to receive just compensation.
Your team will also represent you on appeal in the case of unfavorable rulings.
Your loved one has the right to expect quality care from their nursing home. Strong Law and its team of nursing home attorneys in Eugene will fight to make sure the abuse stops and the abusers pay for their actions.
What to Do If You Suspect Your Loved One Is Being Abused
No one wants to believe their loved one is being abused. The lack of blatant evidence of bad treatment makes it difficult to spot abusive situations in many cases. Understanding the different types of nursing home abuse can help immensely in addressing the problem.
Physical Abuse
Physical abuse is common. However, much of it does not manifest in extreme violence, likely to leave marks or cause a noticeable impairment. According to the National Center on Elder Abuse, elder physical abuse includes:
- Injurious and non-injurious physical acts or coercion
- Excessive use of drugs (medication) as a means of control
- Excessive use of force to feed or administer drugs.
Violent acts need not cause injury in order to be considered abuse. Pain as a coercive force can be inflicted in various ways without leaving evidence of wrongdoing.
Neglect
Care professionals in nursing homes have varying duties towards their residents, depending on each elderly person’s level of independence. In some cases, residents have most of their needs met by care home staff. They include:
- Feeding
- Bathing
- Cleaning
- Caring for medical needs
- Comforting.
Failing to meet these needs leads to harmful results.
Sexual Abuse
Non-consensual verbal or physical actions toward nursing home residents are a serious form of abuse. Sexual abuse is not limited to penetration and may include verbal, written, or photographic communications, improper touching, and even voyeurism.
Emotional and Psychological Abuse
These forms of non-physical abuse represent a large percentage of nursing home abuse cases. In many instances, they are the most challenging to detect. Offenders ditch their abusive behavior and language when dealing with a victim’s family members, and the victim often suffers in silence unless someone intervenes.
Financial Abuse
Elders are at extreme risk of financial abuse as they become increasingly dependent upon others. Temptation and predatory behavior lead some to target the finances of nursing home residents in various ways, such as:
- Direct theft of cash, jewelry, and other valuables
- Coercion and threats to obtain financial benefits
- Use of false pretense to gain financial benefit.
If you believe your loved one may be a victim of any type of abuse, it is important to take action. Your loved one has everything to gain by your following up on your suspicions.
Signs of Nursing Home Abuse
Some cases of nursing home abuse are overt and easy to detect, such as violent, injurious physical abuse. However, more subtle forms are harder to detect. With that being said, each form of abuse creates red flags that should be heeded.
Some common red flags include:
- Abnormal gain or loss of weight
- Deteriorating personal hygiene
- Messy and filthy living quarters
- Change of gait
- Increased substance or alcohol consumption
- Depression
- Behavioral changes
- Loss of confidence and self-esteem.
Alone or in concert, these changes are cause for concern. If you notice any of them in your loved one’s situation, it is important to act quickly to help them. Scheduling a free consultation with qualified Eugene, OR, nursing home lawyers is a good place to start.
Frequently Asked Questions About Nursing Home Abuse
Give us a call for answers to your questions surrounding nursing home abuse. Our nursing home abuse attorneys in Eugene, OR, want you to have a firm understanding of the issues caused by nursing home abuse and their solutions. Some of the questions our clients routinely ask are answered below.
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What is the time limit for filing a case?
Normally, Eugene personal injury lawyers and property damage attorneys must file your case within two years of the offending incident. However, Oregon law extends this time limit to seven years for vulnerable individuals.
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What types of damages are typical in nursing home abuse cases?
Oregon allows you to seek compensation for economic, non-economic, and punitive damages, depending on the circumstances of your case. Economic damages include verifiable, objective financial damages, such as:
- Increased medical care expenses
- Hospital bills
- Extra in-residence care.
Non-economic damages cover such losses as:
- Pain and suffering
- Emotional distress
- Loss of companionship.
If the nursing home abuse leads to death, your damages will also include funeral and burial costs. If the abuse your loved one suffered was done maliciously or was caused by a reckless and outrageous indifference to the safety of others, then the court may allow punitive damages.
Strong Law’s Eugene, OR, nursing home lawyers fight hard for you during the damages calculation process. They know how important financial relief is in these situations and work diligently to get you maximum compensation.
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What does a Eugene nursing home lawyer charge for their services?
Your attorney’s fees are contingent on the outcome of your case. The amount you pay comes from the final settlement or verdict you receive. In some cases, attorney’s fees are awarded, meaning your final payout would be substantially larger.
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Is nursing home abuse a crime?
Most forms of elder abuse are considered crimes in Oregon. Offenders are often prosecuted with the criminal mistreatment statute, which makes nursing home abuse — as well as other forms of elder abuse — a Class C felony.
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How long does it take to resolve a nursing home abuse case?
Although Eugene nursing home abuse cases share many similarities, each is unique and follows a case-specific schedule dictated by the circumstances surrounding the abuse. Because they involve many complex issues, some cases may take up to two years or longer to settle, while more straightforward cases can be resolved in much less time.
If you suspect nursing home abuse, it’s imperative to get help right away. At Strong Law, our experienced nursing home abuse attorneys can fight for the rights of you and your loved ones.
Attorney Jed Strong
Jed Strong is the founder of Strong Law. He knows that accident injuries can be devastating to individuals and families, so he does everything in his power to ensure his clients recover every bit of compensation they deserve. Prior to representing accident victims, Jed worked for GEICO insurance company as one of its in-house attorneys – representing the insurance companies. After learning the inner workings of insurance companies, he quit and began representing accident victims. [ Attorney Bio ]
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“Excellent attorneys and staff!! My attorney, Peter, and his paralegal, Katrina, went ABOVE & BEYOND to get me a settlement that was even higher than my own personal bottom line. I highly recommend Strong Law for all your personal injury claims. I would not have been able to navigate this 3-year long journey without them! Thank you, thank you, thank you!!”
Anita Washington
Your Loved One Deserves Justice
Let Us Fight to Protect Your Loved Ones and Get Them Justice
Our clients know we care. They also know our ability to win cases. When you choose Strong Law, you can expect no less than a firm that works diligently to get you and your loved one justice.
If your loved one has suffered at the hands of a nursing home, or you suspect they are being abused, we can help. Reach out for a free consultation today.
Our years of representing clients in various matters have taught us that time is always of the essence in legal matters, especially when it comes to the safety of a loved one. When our nursing home attorneys in Eugene move forward with your case, they will act quickly and decisively so your loved one is secure and in a place free of abuse. Call (206) 741-1053 today.
