How a Slip and Fall Accident in a Nursing Home Can Change a Senior’s Life

Posted by Adam R. Leighton on Feb 11, 2020 in Uncategorized | Comments Off on How a Slip and Fall Accident in a Nursing Home Can Change a Senior’s Life Experienced Attorney If you are a relative of a senior loved one in a nursing home and they recently suffered from a slip and fall, it is important to understand how this could affect their life and what you can do to support their recovery, such as contacting a nursing home abuse attorney. A fall can lead to serious injuries such as a broken hip, bone fractures, head injuries, soft tissue wounds, neck and back injuries, muscle sprains, and much more. Here we talk about in what ways your loved one may be impacted and what their road to recovery may look like:  Decreased Mobility and Independence A slip and fall accident can weaken a senior person’s ability to get around on their own, thus decreasing a sense of independence. After the slip and fall, it is possible that your loved one may not ever fully recover. Depending on their age and other medical conditions, they may have to get around using a wheelchair, walker, or quad cane. Along with this, many seniors start to become less active out of fear that they will fall again. They begin to not trust themselves and their body as much as before.  The Need For Surgery and a Long Recovery As we humans age, illnesses and injuries may take us longer to recover from compared to when we were in our younger years. If a senior loved one needs surgery to repair a broken hip for example, this may mean a very long road of healing a rehabilitation after the procedure. Surgery can also expose the senior resident to other risky complications, such as blood clots and infections.  Risk For Other Health Complications Nursing home staff must stay vigilant and attentive until the senior has recuperated from surgery, since the resident will be laying in bed much more often and unable to take care of themselves in certain ways. However, some senior residents may not fully overcome their slip and fall accident injuries at all. As a result, they may become less mobile and more likely to have other health complications such as pneumonia and bed sores.  Less Opportunity For Stimulation Part of ensuring that a senior is still having a quality of life in a nursing home, is by providing them with opportunities to be creative and active. If a senior loved one becomes less active due to a slip and...
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Financial Resources for Your Spouse’s Brain Injury

Posted by Adam R. Leighton on Feb 11, 2020 in Uncategorized | Comments Off on Financial Resources for Your Spouse’s Brain Injury Experienced Attorney When your spouse suffers a brain injury, it can change your life forever. Medication, rehabilitation and full-time in-home care can cause financial issues that may skyrocket out of control in a matter of months. Finding resources to afford these services can be difficult; however, there may be a few avenues you can take to support your spouse’s care. Review the Circumstances of the Injury  Depending on the nature of your spouse’s injury, he or she may be eligible for financial restitution. For example, if the injury occurred at work, you can file a worker’s compensation case on your spouse’s behalf. You may have to gain power of attorney before you can do so, but this can be an effective step in gaining financial support. Gather Information for Your Financial Needs  Before you can find financial support for your spouse’s brain injury, it is important that you gather information related to your immediate needs. After the injury occurs, collect costs related to your spouse’s care, including: Intensive care bills Medication Emergency transportation  The more information you can document properly, the better the chance you can secure financial help. Remember to make copies of every document so you can refer to them later if you decide to talk to a lawyer or require them as proof of your expenses for a legal case. Contact a Lawyer  If you believe your spouse’s brain injury was caused by the negligence of another, contacting an attorney to help you build a case may result in a monetary award. Working with a lawyer can help you cut through the red tape that often occurs with worker’s compensation cases and injuries that are caused by others. If you decide to allow a lawyer to represent you, he or she can gather important information that can support a worker’s compensation or personal injury case. However, you may want to act quickly, as although state statutes vary, you may only have one year to act. Contact Your Insurance Company  Your personal insurance may cover some or all of your spouse’s rehab, medication and other necessary expenses. Your doctor and other healthcare facilities might submit the cost directly to your insurance after treatment; however, it is wise to contact your representative to ensure these costs are being covered. Understanding which costs are covered can help you balance your medical budget and allow you to find other resources for expenses...
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Malnutrition in Nursing Home

Posted by Adam R. Leighton on Feb 10, 2020 in Uncategorized | Comments Off on Malnutrition in Nursing Home Experienced Attorney When it comes to the elderly residents in a nursing home, nutritional well-being is an essential component of any treatment plan. Dehydration and malnutrition can happen easily amongst the elderly as well as lead to more severe health problems. Not only can these conditions lead to weight loss, confusion, or infection, but severe cases can also become fatal. Proper nutrition and hydration is a basic right that every resident is entitled to, whether they are incapacitated or not. Common Causes of Malnutrition or Dehydration Adequate nutrition includes receiving enough minerals, proteins, calories, vitamins, and liquids to remain strong and healthy. Many different factors can contribute to nursing home residents not receiving adequate hydration or nutrition. In cases where the resident is unable to ingest or maintain adequate levels of these things, the nursing home staff is required to make adjustments to accommodate them. For example, if a resident cannot feed themselves, the staff is required to feed them so they can maintain their health. Aside from the resident’s own physical or psychological limitations, other outside factors may include the staff acting in a way that is abusive or neglectful. Here are some ways that nursing homes contribute to malnutrition and dehydration themselves. Inadequate supervision by staff to assist with feeding when necessary Lack of exercise or individualized care plans Ill-informed staff members who are not familiar with the proper ways to assist residents who need help Food that is improperly served or unappetizing A disorganized or chaotic dining room  Leaving fluids in places that are not easily accessible to the patient  Failing to administer tube feedings when necessary Recognizing Signs of Malnutrition and Dehydration If you think that your loved one may be suffering from a lack of food or water, keep an eye out for these potential indicators: Recent, significant weight loss Clothing that seems to fit more loosely  Dry mouth that makes it difficult to speak Cracked, pale, or bleeding lips or gums Infrequent, dark urination A tongue that is bright red, dry, and furrowed Frequent complaints of thirst Unexplained disorientation or weakness Skin that feels warm and dry Sudden and unexplained hair loss or thinning Gums that have shrunk, causing dentures to no longer fit properly Tooth loss or a tender mouth Wounds that appear to take a long time to heal Skin that appears “loose,” dry, or to be deteriorating Residents at a...
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How Long Is the Statute of Limitations for a Shooting Injury at a Business?

Posted by Adam R. Leighton on Feb 9, 2020 in Uncategorized | Comments Off on How Long Is the Statute of Limitations for a Shooting Injury at a Business? Experienced Attorney Victims of a shooting can pursue a legal remedy against every person or company that contributed to their injuries. When a shooting occurs on business property, the victim may be entitled to pursue a remedy against the business owner. While laws vary from state to state, the general rule is that a business has a duty to protect patrons from foreseeable harm. Particularly in high crime areas, businesses may be required to provide adequate security to ensure that people who enter their property are not injured or killed by shooters. Businesses also have a duty to ensure that property conditions do not encourage violent crimes. A parking lot mugging or assault that ends with a shooting might be prevented by adequate lighting. A business that fails to keep its premises safe can be held responsible for criminal acts that are encouraged by the unsafe condition. Statute of Limitations for a Shooting at a Business Every state sets time limits for bringing forth lawsuits. The time in which a lawsuit must be brought forth is known as a limitations period. Each law that sets a limitations period is called a “statute of limitations.” Limitations periods vary from state to state. Within a state, the limitations period may vary depending on the nature of a lawsuit. For example, a lawsuit against a shooter based on an intentional act of violence might have a different limitations period than a lawsuit against a business based on inadequate security. The statute of limitations that governs negligence claims will usually apply to lawsuits against businesses for failing to maintain safe premises or to provide adequate security. Limitations periods for negligence lawsuits are typically two or three years, though they can be as short as one year or as long as six years. Time limits become even more complicated if the shooting occurred on a business operated by the government. A “notice of claim” law might impose a short time limit for notifying the government of the victim’s intent to file a lawsuit. The statute of limitations may also be different if the claim is made against the government. Statutes of limitations all have very different strict rules and timeframes. It is always prudent to consult with a security negligence and shooting lawyer, like a security negligence and shooting lawyer in Atlanta, GA, to determine the limitations period that applies to a particular shooting....
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Wrongful Death Lawsuit Time Limit

Posted by Adam R. Leighton on Feb 5, 2020 in Uncategorized | Comments Off on Wrongful Death Lawsuit Time Limit When a loved one is killed, it can be very difficult to recover. During this time, you may be considering filing a wrongful death lawsuit to receive some compensation for your loss, but it is reasonable to feel like you have too much on your mind to pursue legal action. This raises the question of whether or not there is a time limit to file. Can you recover a bit before jumping into a lawsuit? Or would you be at risk of losing the ability to file? There is a time limit, but it is a little complicated to understand. The time limit is called the statute of limitations. The Statute of Limitations It is important to be aware of the statute of limitations on your case so you can avoid missing your chance to file a lawsuit. If the statute of limitations expires, any lawsuit you file will almost certainly be thrown out. The only major exception to the statute of limitations is called the “discovery rule.” If you do not know the identity of the person who caused the death of your loved one, the statute of limitations does not begin until you discover his or her identity. Essentially, the time limit only begins counting down at the time you discover who you should file a lawsuit against. How Long Do You Have? So how long is the statute of limitations? Exactly how long do you have to file? The answer varies from one case to the next based on two factors. First, the type of lawsuit affects your time limit. The type of your lawsuit is wrongful death. Second, the state you are filing in also affects your time limit. Keep in mind that the state the death occurred in is what matters, rather than the state of residence for you or the deceased. For most states, the statute of limitations in a wrongful death case is two or three years, which provides plenty of time to recover before filing. There are only nine states where the statute of limitations is not two or three years: Florida – Four yearsKentucky – One yearLouisiana – One yearMaine – Six yearsMissouri – Five yearsNebraska – Four yearsTennessee – One yearUtah – Four yearsWyoming – Four years This means that the statute of limitations will always be between one and six years. If your state is not on this...
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