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Families trust nursing homes to provide attentive care to their loved ones. However, some nursing home care facilities fail to meet their legal obligation, causing harm to nursing home patients. Our law firm protects the rights of nursing home residents harmed by negligent care across Virginia and Washington DC. Our attorneys have over 100 years of experience holding negligent facilities accountable and helping families seek justice and the results they deserve.
With 31 attorneys and over 100 support staff, including former claims adjusters and law enforcement officers, we have the resources and knowledge to investigate nursing home negligence cases and demand the quality care your loved one deserves. Our firm’s dedication to protecting vulnerable individuals from nursing home neglect has earned us recognition from Best Lawyers in America and Super Lawyers, as well as numerous positive testimonials.
If you believe your loved one has experienced negligent care or medical neglect in a nursing home or assisted living facility, contact us today for a free case review with a Washington DC nursing home negligence lawyer.
What Is Nursing Home Negligence?
Nursing home negligence occurs when a facility fails to provide the basic standard of care and attention elderly residents need to maintain their health and well-being. Neglect differs from intentional abuse. It typically stems from inadequate staffing, poor training, or systematic failures in care delivery. It can lead to serious harm, such as malnourishment, dehydration, bed sores, or untreated infections.
What Is Meant by a Duty of Care?
Nursing homes have a legal responsibility to provide appropriate care to their residents. This duty of care requires facilities to:
- Maintain proper staffing levels
- Ensure staff members receive adequate training
- Put in place protocols that protect residents’ health and safety.
The standard of care includes providing proper nutrition, hydration, medication, hygiene care, and monitoring of medical conditions.
When a nursing home accepts a resident, it agrees to meet these basic care requirements. A nursing home’s failure to fulfill this duty due to carelessness, inadequate staffing, or lack of oversight constitutes negligence. A nursing facility can be held legally responsible for any resulting harm a resident suffers.
What Are Some Examples of Nursing Home Negligence?
Nursing home negligence can take many forms, often resulting in serious injury to residents. Common examples of nursing home negligence that our nursing home lawyers have seen include:
- Basic care oversights — Failing to help residents with essential daily needs such as eating, toileting, personal hygiene, or changing positions in bed.
- Medication errors — Administering the wrong medications, incorrect dosages of medications, or missing scheduled medications.
- Inadequate supervision — Failing to monitor residents properly, leading to falls or residents wandering off.
- Poor infection control — Not following proper sanitation protocols or failing to treat infections promptly.
- Development of bed sores — Allowing pressure ulcers to form due to failure by a nursing home staff member to turn patients in a timely fashion or provide proper skincare.
- Insufficient staff training — Staff members lacking proper training to handle medical equipment or respond properly to emergencies.
- Malnutrition and dehydration — Failing to meet residents’ basic dietary needs or to monitor food and fluid intake.
What Should You Do If You Suspect Negligence at a DC Nursing Home?
If you suspect your loved one has been harmed by nursing home neglect or nursing home abuse, take the following steps:
- Document everything — Keep detailed records of any concerning incidents, including dates, times, and names of staff involved.
- Take photographs — Visual evidence of injuries, unsanitary conditions, or other problems can support your case.
- Report concerns — Alert the facility’s administration and document their response.
- Seek medical attention — Have your loved one examined by an independent healthcare provider.
- Contact authorities — File a complaint with the DC Department of Health.
- Consult an attorney — Speak with a personal injury lawyer experienced in nursing home cases to understand your legal options.
What Is Necessary to Prove Negligence?
At Marks & Harrison, our nursing home negligence attorneys use our extensive experience and resources to build a strong case against a nursing home for nursing home negligence. Our approach includes:
- Medical record analysis — Our team will carefully review all medical records to identify patterns of substandard care and specific incidents of negligence.
- Expert consultation — We will work with healthcare professionals who can testify about proper standards of care and how the facility failed to meet them.
- Staff interviews — Our investigators will speak with current and former facility employees who may have witnessed negligent practices.
- Facility inspection — We will examine the nursing home’s premises, staffing levels, and care protocols.
- Documentation review — We will analyze the facility’s policies, procedures, and staff training records.
- Witness statements — We will gather accounts from family members, visitors, and others who observed problems with care at the nursing home facility.
- Regulatory compliance — We will investigate whether the facility violated state or federal care requirements.
With former claims adjusters and law enforcement officers on our staff, we know how to conduct thorough investigations that uncover evidence needed to develop strong nursing home lawsuits. Our firm’s significant resources allow us to build comprehensive cases that demonstrate how a facility failed to provide proper care for your loved one.
Can Damages Be Sought from a Negligent Nursing Home?
Families may file a nursing home neglect lawsuit and demand accountability and compensation if a nursing home’s negligent care has harmed their loved one. At Marks & Harrison, we can help families seek compensation for the following:
- Medical expenses — Costs for treating nursing home injuries caused by negligent care.
- Rehabilitation costs — Expenses for therapy and recovery services.
- Pain and suffering — Compensation for physical discomfort and emotional distress.
- Quality of life losses — Damages for reduced enjoyment of life due to negligent care.
- Relocation expenses — Costs associated with moving to a new facility.
- End-of-life costs — If negligence leads to a wrongful death, we help families recover funeral and burial expenses.
How Long Do You Have to Bring a Nursing Home Negligence Lawsuit in DC?
Under Washington DC law, you typically have three years from the date of injury to initiate a nursing home neglect lawsuit. However, certain circumstances can affect this timeline. We encourage families to contact us as soon as they suspect negligent care. Marks & Harrison offers a free case review to determine if grounds exist for a nursing home neglect case. Early involvement helps us preserve evidence and protect your loved one’s rights.
Contact a Washington DC Nursing Home Negligence Lawyer
For more than three generations, Marks & Harrison has fought to help injured Virginians and DC residents rebuild their lives. Our law firm has extensive experience handling nursing home neglect lawsuits and nursing home abuse cases. Our personal injury attorneys understand the complex regulations governing nursing homes and how to hold negligent facilities accountable. As one of the largest personal injury firms in the region, we have the experience and resources to investigate each case thoroughly and pursue the compensation your family deserves.
Contact Marks & Harrison today for a free consultation with a nursing home abuse attorney. Our attorneys serve clients throughout Washington DC and have multiple office locations for your convenience.
