If you or a loved one has been abused at a nursing home in Porterville, California, now’s the time to contact Matadores Accident & Injury Lawyers at (559) 500-1000 for help. Our Porterville nursing home abuse lawyers offer a free consultation.
Our team fights to defend victims of nursing abuse and the families who are devastated by a nursing facility’s breach of trust. Backed by 25+ years of combined experience and a passion for justice, we help our clients take on powerful organizations and win millions in life-changing monetary awards.
Discover how we can help you make the most of your nursing home abuse lawsuit by calling our Porterville law office for assistance today.
Why Choose Matadores Accident & Injury Lawyers To Help With Your Nursing Home Abuse Case in Porterville, CA
Experience matters when choosing a lawyer to handle a nursing home abuse claim. Before focusing exclusively on representing injury victims and families, the team at Matadores Accident & Injury Lawyers defended corporations against these types of cases. That experience provides valuable insight into how facilities and insurance companies approach nursing home abuse claims.
Clients in Porterville, CA, turn to our firm because we offer:
- More than two decades of combined legal experience
- Experience handling claims from both sides of the negotiating table
- A proven history of recovering substantial compensation for injured clients
- Personalized representation focused on each client’s unique situation
- Recognition as members of the Multi-Million Dollar Advocates Forum
- Honors from Super Lawyers and NAOPIA Top 10 Personal Injury Lawyers
- Distinguished recognition from Martindale-Hubbell
- 24/7 availability to answer questions and provide guidance
We work to build strong relationships with every client so we can better understand their challenges and advocate effectively on their behalf. Contact our Porterville personal injury attorneys today if you or a loved one has suffered abuse or neglect in a nursing facility.
Understanding Nursing Home Abuse in California
Nursing home abuse happens way more often than you might think. According to data from the World Health Organization (WHO), two out of three caretakers surveyed admitted to having abused a nursing home resident in the past year.
With over 100,000 Californians residing in nursing facilities across the state, that means that tens of thousands are likely experiencing some level of abuse or neglect. There are many different ways in which nursing home abuse can manifest, including physical abuse, emotional abuse, sexual abuse, neglect, and financial abuse.
Physical Abuse
Physical abuse occurs when a caretaker intentionally causes or allows a resident to suffer avoidable bodily harm. Abuse often involves hitting, pushing, hair pulling, grabbing, or using unnecessarily tight restraints.
Signs of physical nursing home abuse tend to include unexplained bruising, swelling, broken bones, dental injuries, cuts, or lacerations. Victims of physical abuse may be fearful of or hesitant around their caretakers.
Psychological Abuse
Psychological abuse, often referred to as emotional abuse, occurs when a caretaker intentionally and repeatedly causes a resident emotional harm by calling them names, gaslighting them, isolating them from peers, refusing to allow them to see family, or yelling at them.
Signs of emotional abuse include changes in mood and behavior, anxiety, fearfulness, withdrawal from social situations and family, and depression.
Sexual Abuse
Sexual abuse occurs when a caretaker forces a resident to participate in and/or observe sexually explicit activity with themselves or others. Signs of sexual abuse tend to include injuries to the genitals, unexplained STDs and infections, and emotional distress.
Neglect
Abuse isn’t always hands-on. It can also manifest as neglect, where a caretaker fails to provide a resident with necessary food, water, medication, medical care, or personal care assistance. Signs of neglect can include dehydration, malnutrition, confusion, bed sores, infections, or injuries.
Financial Abuse
Nursing home residents are common targets of financial abuse, not limited to identity theft, misappropriation of funds, and theft of finances and personal property. Signs of financial abuse can include unexplained charges on credit cards, unusual withdrawals from bank accounts, and missing benefit checks and payments.
What Could My Nursing Home Abuse Claim Be Worth?
It’s difficult to say precisely what your nursing home abuse claim could be worth without knowing more about your loved one’s injuries, the financial toll the abuse has taken on your family, and the emotional trauma they’ve experienced because of the abuse.
As our nursing home abuse attorneys evaluate your claims’ potential value, we’ll consider:
- The type of abuse your loved one has experienced
- Physical injuries and their severity
- The need for long-term or intensive medical treatment
- Costs related to moving to a different nursing facility
- The degree to which your loved one experiences pain and suffering
- Financial losses
The longer your loved one was abused, and the more they’ve experienced physical injuries and emotional trauma, the more money your nursing home abuse claim might be worth.
What Types of Damages Can Be Awarded to Victims of Nursing Abuse in Porterville?
As the plaintiff in a nursing home abuse lawsuit in Porterville, you’ll have the opportunity to demand economic damages and non-economic damages to compensate for:
- Medical bills
- Rehabilitation
- Personal care assistance
- Out-of-pocket expenses
- Pain and suffering
- Emotional distress
- Disfigurement and scarring
- Chronic pain
- Loss of consortium
- Reduced quality of life
- Embarrassment
- Restitution for financial losses
Your family might also be able to recover punitive damages if your nursing home abuse lawsuit goes to trial. In California, juries have the power to award punitive damages when there’s clear and convincing evidence of intentional misconduct, fraud, or gross negligence.
Funeral expenses and other damages can also be awarded to families in a wrongful death action if nursing home abuse is fatal.
Who Can Be Liable for Nursing Home Abuse in California?
Nursing home abuse cases can be complicated, in part, because multiple parties can share responsibility for a resident’s injuries and suffering.
Depending on the specific facts and circumstances of your loved one’s situation, any of the following parties may be liable for abuse:
- Certified nursing assistant
- Nursing home staff member
- Physician or nurse
- Nursing home ownership
Nursing homes can be liable for their own negligence or harmful actions, and vicariously liable for the bad actions of their employees.
What Should I Do if I Suspect My Family Member Is Being Abused at a Nursing Home in Porterville?
If you visit a loved one at a nursing home, assisted living facility, or rehab center in Porterville, California, and believe they’re being abused, it’s important to:
- Call the Long-Term Care Ombudsman at 1-800-231-4024
- Contact the City of Porterville Police Department if you believe that your family member is in imminent danger
- Notify the nursing home about your suspicions, and
- Contact an experienced nursing home abuse attorney to explore your family’s legal rights and options
The sooner you report abuse, the better. It can also be important to document any signs of abuse by taking pictures of physical injuries and unclean or uninhabitable living quarters. If possible, get contact information for witnesses who may have observed your loved one being abused.
How Much Does It Cost To Hire a Nursing Home Abuse Attorney?
There’s no risk or upfront cost to pursue a nursing home abuse lawsuit when you hire Matadores Accident & Injury Lawyers. Our California nursing home abuse lawyers in Porterville represent clients on a contingent basis.
We don’t get paid until we recover compensation for your nursing home abuse claim. When we win, our fees are deducted as a percentage of your financial recovery. If we don’t win your nursing home abuse case, you owe nothing.
What’s the Statute of Limitations for Nursing Home Abuse Lawsuits in California?
Most nursing home abuse lawsuits in California will be subject to a two-year statute of limitations. This gives you two years from the last known date of abuse to sue the nursing home or caretaker for injuries. If nursing abuse is fatal, related wrongful death lawsuits will be subject to a two-year statute of limitations, but that begins to run on the date of a resident’s passing.
Missing the filing deadline isn’t an option. When time runs out, you lose the ability to hold the nursing facility accountable for your loved one’s injuries.
Call Our Porterville Nursing Home Abuse Lawyer for a Free Consultation
You trusted the nursing home to take care of your aging or elderly loved one in Porterville, CA. The facility violated this trust, and now your family member is struggling with the consequences. Matadores Accident & Injury Lawyers are here to help you demand justice.
Our Porterville nursing home abuse attorneys are skilled legal advocates with 25+ years of experience litigating high-stakes, emotionally personal injury disputes. Standing up to powerful corporations, nursing homes, and bad actors, we’ve helped our clients win more than $100 million in damages.
Discover how we can make a difference in your family’s life in the wake of devastating nursing abuse by calling our law office today. Your first consultation is free.
