Nursing homes in Ozone Park and throughout New York are expected to provide proper care to their elderly residents in safe and protected environments. Unfortunately, issues such as understaffing and negligence can cause residents to fall through the cracks and miss out on the care they need.
If you believe your loved one has been injured due to nursing home neglect in Queens, the Ozone Park injury lawyers at Abaev Law Firm, PLLC can help you understand your family’s legal rights and options. We offer free consultations at our office, over the phone and via email. If you cannot come to us, we will come to you. We make home and hospital visits.
Why Trust Us With Your Nursing Home Neglect Claim in Ozone Park?
- Our New York personal injury trial attorneys, led by Nissim Abaev, have years of experience holding nursing homes, long-term living facilities and rehabilitation centers accountable for failing to take proper care of their residents.
- ALF Law has successfully secured millions of dollars in settlements and judgments for past clients. We have the unique litigation and trial experience to aggressively pursue maximum compensation for your nursing home neglect case.
- We offer completely free consultations in Ozone Park and accept nursing home neglect and abuse cases on a contingency fee basis. You will pay no attorney’s fees unless we recover compensation for your family.
How an Ozone Park Personal Injury Attorney Can Help
A strong nursing home neglect case is critical if your loved one has suffered injuries, harm or worsened health because of this type of misconduct. The victim deserves justice, and does not deserve to be taken advantage of by a corporation or insurance carrier. An attorney is a professional you can trust to protect your family’s best interests every step of the way.
A lawyer can conduct a thorough investigation of the nursing home neglect and work with medical experts and other specialists to understand how the facility’s negligence caused your loved one’s injuries. Once your attorney has built a strong injury claim, he or she can aggressively negotiate with an insurance provider or litigate the case in court for maximum compensation.
Your elderly relative and your family as a whole have already been through enough. In this difficult time, don’t take on the added stress and pressure of a personal injury case. Hire an attorney to ease your mind, improve your odds of success and allow you to focus on what matters most: healing from a traumatic case of elder neglect.
What Is Nursing Home Neglect?
Nursing home neglect means the facility (or one of its employees) fell short of the duty of care that it legally owed its residents. A duty of care is an obligation or responsibility to maintain a certain standard in terms of the care offered to nursing home residents. Anything less than this is negligence or neglect.
Types of Nursing Home Neglect
Nursing home neglect can take many different forms. It does not refer to a single type of behavior, but a general lack of proper care at a facility. Neglect can refer to a lack of medical, physical or psychosocial care that was needed by an elderly resident.
Examples include:
- Failing to provide enough food or water
- Ignoring a resident’s medical needs
- Failing to maintain a resident’s hygiene
- Leaving a resident in soiled clothes or diapers for long periods
- Isolating the resident from social activities
- Ignoring resident complaints
- Failing to maintain a safe environment
- Failing to prevent fall hazards
- Failing to turn a resident enough to prevent bedsores
- Lack of proper resident supervision
New York nursing home residents have rights that must be honored by the facilities responsible for their care. Any breach of these rights or violations of state or federal safety regulations can lead to serious resident injuries.
Nursing Home Abuse
Unlike nursing home neglect, which is unintentional, nursing home abuse is the intentional mistreatment or harm of an elderly person by the facility or one of its staff members. Elder abuse is a heinous crime that can lead to significant harm and wrongful resident deaths. It can involve physical assaults, mental or emotional abuse, sexual abuse, and/or financial exploitation.
What to Do if You Suspect Neglect at an Ozone Park Nursing Home
Nursing home neglect can have a significant effect on residents who are suffering from subpar care. Signs can include:
- Bedsores
- Medication mistakes
- Infections or sepsis
- Malnutrition or dehydration
- Sudden declines in health
- Behavioral changes
- Unexplained injuries
- Poor personal hygiene
If you have reason to suspect neglect, take your loved one to a safe place and make sure they get the medical care that they need. Report your suspicions to a manager at the nursing home and write down the name of the person you speak with. Then, take your case to the authorities.
Where to Report Nursing Home Neglect in Queens
Call 911 in an emergency. Report the nursing home to the New York State Department of Health. If you need additional assistance or resources, you can contact your local Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program or Adult Protective Services. Then, take the time to speak to an attorney at ALF Law before making any legally binding decisions about your claim.
Financial Compensation Available for Victims of Ozone Park Nursing Home Neglect
Senior citizens who are injured or adversely affected by nursing home neglect in Queens may be eligible for financial compensation. Damages may be awarded to reimburse the victim for a variety of economic and non-economic losses suffered, such as:
- Medical costs and hospital bills
- Physical therapy or rehabilitation
- Pain, suffering and emotional harm
- Psychological damage or PTSD
- Loss of enjoyment of life
- Fear, anxiety or depression
- Any permanent harm or disabilities
- The cost to relocate nursing homes
- Punitive damages to punish the nursing home, in some cases
The most effective way to maximize your loved one’s compensation following a case of nursing home neglect or abuse in Ozone Park is by hiring the right attorney. ALF Law has achieved outstanding results for past clients with our focus on litigation and trial preparation. We will aggressively negotiate for the case result you deserve.
Contact Us for a Free Consultation With a Lawyer in Ozone Park
At Abaev Law Firm, PLLC, we believe in holding Ozone Park nursing homes accountable for systemic problems or the negligence of their workers when it results in harm to vulnerable elderly residents.
Find out how we can help you and your family during this difficult and emotional time. Contact us to request your cost-free initial case review. We will listen to your story, evaluate your case and offer personalized legal advice as to what to do next. Call (212) 763-7738 today to get in touch with our closest law office.