California Injury Blog
Do you have a loved one in a nursing home? If so, do you know who is taking care of your beloved grandparent, parent, aunt, uncle, or friend? Unfortunately, it is entirely possible that the person watching your loved one may have a criminal record. According to a recent report from the American Association for Justice, entitled “Standing Up for Seniors: How the Civil Justice System Protects Elderly Americans,” many nursing homes fail to properly check the criminal records of its staff, or they run checks and ignore the results. This negligent hiring of employees with criminal records has devastating consequences often leading to nursing home abuse for seniors.
One particularly tragic elder abuse case occurred in an Arkansas nursing home run by the corporate Beverly chain. In this case, the nursing home had failed to check an orderly’s background prior to hiring him. This male orderly went on to sodomize a quadriplegic patient. When the patient complained, the nursing home checked and discovered that the orderly had a criminal record, including a felony conviction, had never completed his training to be a nurse’s aide, and had lied about his previous employment. The orderly was suspended and eventually fired. The traumatized patient sued the nursing home, at which point Beverly Enterprises tried to further victimize the patient and claimed that the sodomy had been consensual.
Abuse against the elderly is unfortunately a common experience. The National Center on Elder Abuse reports that as many as 1.5 million seniors are abused every year. Only 1 in 6 cases are ever reported. Many nursing home residents are afraid of the repercussions of reporting abuse by the people who are supposed to look after them. Even when they do, regulatory authorities are largely ineffective. Nursing home abuse attorneys are helping to hold nursing homes accountable and helping those who have been abused to find justice. In the case of Beverly Enterprises, the jury found that the nursing home had negligently hired the employee and awarded the abused patient compensatory and punitive damages.
What to Do if You Suspect Elder Abuse or Neglect:
Call the police or 9-1-1 immediately if someone you know is in immediate, life-threatening danger. If the danger is not immediate, but you see warning signs that one of your loved ones is currently or has been the victim of abuse in a nursing home, you should find help. Seek the advice of our experienced nursing home abuse attorneys. You will not only be able to help your loved one, but you will also help the other vulnerable seniors who are also in the home. Contact our offices for a free IMMEDIATE case evaluation. Call 800-259-6373. The call is free. The advice may be priceless.
Call the Bisnar Chase Personal Injury Attorneys elder abuse attorneys for a free professional evaluation of your rights by attorneys who have been representing victims of nursing home abuse since 1978. You will experience award winning representation and outstanding personal service by a compassionate and understanding law firm in a comfortable environment.
The Bisnar Chase Personal Injury Attorneys is not representing any of the parties mentioned in this article at the time the article was posted. Our information source is cited in the article. If you were involved in this incident or a similar incident and have questions as to your rights and options, call us or another reputable law firm. Do not act solely upon the information provided herein. Get a consultation. The best law firms will provide a free consultation. We provide a free, confidential consultation to not at fault persons named in this article. The free consultation offer extends to family members as well.