Baltimore Nursing Home Abuse Attorney

When we place a loved one in a nursing home, we trust the facility and its staff to take care of a valued member of our family. While most nursing homes and nursing home staff give excellent care day in and day out, in some cases, nursing home staff abuse and neglect residents.

Although most people think of nursing home abuse as physical assault, the reality is that nursing home abuse and neglect can take many forms. It can arise from an intentional desire to harm a resident or simply from carelessness or indifference.

Since 1977, the nursing home abuse attorneys of Cohen & Dwin, P.A., have been helping families in Baltimore pursue compensation and justice in these complex and sensitive cases. Contact us today to learn more about your family’s rights and options if your loved one has suffered abuse or neglect in a nursing facility.

How a Baltimore Nursing Home Abuse Lawyer Can Help Your Family

If you have a family member who has been harmed in a nursing home facility, the anger and stress of the injustices suffered by your loved one can be overwhelming. In these cases, retaining an experienced Baltimore nursing home abuse attorney can help your family fight for the justice that your loved one deserves.

A nursing home abuse attorney can thoroughly investigate your suspicions or allegations of abuse or neglect. Nursing homes that are suspected of abuse or neglect may make it difficult to uncover proof that injuries suffered by residents were caused by abusive or neglectful staff. At Cohen & Dwin, our attorneys have decades of experience uncovering evidence of abuse or neglect in negligent nursing homes.

A nursing home abuse attorney can also help your family pursue justice when your loved one’s injuries are proven to be the result of abuse or neglect. We can help you contact Maryland state authorities who can investigate and take action against negligent nursing home facilities. Your actions may ultimately save other residents from being harmed.

We can also help you pursue a legal claim for compensation against the parties responsible for the abuse or neglect. We will fight for a full and fair settlement with the nursing home and its insurers. If necessary, our nursing home abuse attorneys can advocate on behalf of your family in court in pursuit of the recovery your loved one needs and deserves.

Who Can Be Held Responsible for Baltimore Nursing Home Neglect?

One of the first questions families have when they discover abuse or neglect is: Who can you hold responsible for the harm your loved one has suffered in a nursing home?

Depending on the circumstances of your case, there are multiple parties who may be liable to your loved one or your family. As an initial matter, you may be able to hold the individual nursing home staff members who inflict the abuse and neglect liable for any harm that results. Of course, regular employees are not likely to have significant assets or insurance that could cover the compensation your loved one may be entitled to receive.

However, many nursing homes are run by large corporations. In many cases, it is possible to hold the nursing home itself responsible for abuse or neglect. Nursing home operators are employers, and employers can be held legally responsible for the injuries and harm caused by employees in the course and scope of their duties.

A nursing home can also be held directly responsible for negligence on the part of owners, administrators, or staff. A victim can argue that the nursing home operator was negligent for hiring individuals if the company knew or should have known those individuals were a risk for committing abuse or neglect. Or a victim may argue that the nursing home operator was negligent in failing to supervise its staff, which allowed staff members to commit abuse and neglect of residents.

Many nursing homes also contract with outside companies to provide various services, such as food service companies that provide meals for residents, or physicians who provide medical services to residents. When abuse or neglect is committed by these outside contractors or their employees, an injured nursing home resident may be able to hold those contractors responsible. The victim may also be able to hold the nursing home responsible for negligently retaining or supervising an outside contractor.

Compensation for Your Loved One

Your loved one may be entitled to compensation for the physical and emotional harm he or she suffered as a result of nursing home neglect or abuse. Some of the kinds of compensation an injured person could receive in a nursing home abuse claim include:

• Medical expenses, such as hospital stays, doctor’s visits, surgery, prescription medication, medical equipment, or physical, speech, or occupational therapy
• Pain and suffering, which is the physical pain and emotional anguish, and distress caused by the harm your loved one suffered due to nursing home abuse or neglect
• Loss of quality of life, which can provide financial recovery for things like the inability to participate in the tasks of daily living or activities enjoyed prior to the injury

Under the most tragic circumstances, abuse, and neglect in a nursing home can be fatal. In these cases, families may be able to file a wrongful death claim to recover compensation for their losses.

How to Report Nursing Home Abuse in Baltimore

If you suspect or believe that a loved one is being subjected to nursing home abuse, you can contact the Office of Health Care Quality (OHCQ) of the Maryland Department of Health. You can file a complaint online or obtain a paper form to mail in to the OHCQ.

The OHCQ also has numbers you can call to file a complaint of abuse:

If you need to file a complaint against a licensed nurse working in a nursing home, you can also contact the Maryland Board of Nurses at (410) 585-1900 or online.

If you need to file a complaint against a physician working in a nursing home, you can contact the Maryland Board of Physicians at (410) 764-4777 or online.

Signs of Nursing Home Abuse or Neglect in Baltimore

The unfortunate reality is that even the most expensive, top-notch nursing home facilities can be grounds for abuse. As a result, it is important that you are vigilant so that you can catch the signs of nursing home abuse or neglect as soon as they occur. Some of the common signs of nursing home abuse or neglect include:

• Noticeable weight loss
• Dehydration
• Unexplained bruises, discoloration, broken bones, dislocations, or sprains
• Signs of restraint
• Bedsores
• Poor personal hygiene
• Lack of compliance with medication regimens
• Personality and cognitive changes, including withdrawal, increased anxiety, or dementia
• Unwillingness to be alone with nursing home staff members, or staff members preventing visitors from being alone with a resident

If you observe any of these signs or any other unusual physical signs or behavioral changes in a loved one, it can be an indication that your loved one is the victim of nursing home abuse. You should speak with the nursing home facility administrators as soon as possible, report your suspicions to the state, and speak with the experienced Baltimore nursing home abuse attorneys of Cohen & Dwin. We can explain your legal rights and options for addressing abuse and demanding the compensation and justice your loved one deserves.

Common Types of Nursing Home Injuries in Baltimore

At Cohen & Dwin, our Baltimore nursing home abuse attorneys have helped families in Maryland who are fighting to protect vulnerable loved ones. Some of the common injuries that our attorneys have seen include:

• Dehydration
• Malnutrition
• Asphyxiation
• Broken bones
• Head injuries
• Traumatic brain injuries
• Bedsores, especially when they expose underlying tissue and bone

• Infections
• Sepsis
• Lacerations, bruises, and other wounds
• Sexually transmitted infections
• PTSD
• Clinical depression

Although some of these physical and emotional injuries can occur as a result of innocent accidents, any injury that cannot be adequately explained may be a strong indicator that the injured individual is the victim of nursing home neglect or abuse.

If you suspect a loved one is suffering, contact the Baltimore nursing home abuse attorneys at Cohen & Dwin. Our lawyers have over 100 years of collective experience handling nursing home abuse and neglect cases, and we can help your family protect your loved one and hold the facility accountable.

Talk to a Baltimore Nursing Home Abuse Attorney Now

Our elderly loved ones deserve to enjoy their golden years in peace and comfort. If you are worried that your loved one is being harmed, get help now. Contact the Baltimore nursing home abuse attorneys of Cohen & Dwin for a free initial consultation.