Arizona Accident Lawyer Blog

One of the most common signs of nursing home neglect in Chandler, Arizona and throughout the U.S. is the appearance of bedsores, known medically as decubitus ulcers. Bedsores are often preventable and easily treated, yet they are one of the leading causes of death in developed countries for those in medical treatment. In the worst cases, bedsores may cover an elderly person’s body, and these preventable injuries very often signify elder abuse in a nursing home.

There are other cases in which elderly people are denied proper or enough food and water. Some elderly people in nursing homes even suffer from malnutrition or dehydration. While diagnosing such conditions requires a doctor, there are some signs and symptoms that a layperson may be able to recognize. If you have a loved one in a nursing home and think that staff may be denying food or water, it is important to know the symptoms of dehydration and malnutrition, and to follow up if you see any signs of either.

Poor personal hygiene can mean that an elderly person in a nursing home is not being attended to as he or she should, and it may be a sign that something much more serious is occurring.

Continue reading "What to Look Out For if You Suspect Elder Abuse in Chandler, Arizona" »

Nursing home neglect or abuse comes in many forms. Sometimes nursing home neglect in Arizona can occur simply because caregivers fail to ensure that residents are protected against any injuries that they may cause themselves. For example, if a person were to fall out of a wheelchair because he or she was not properly secured, this would be construed as nursing home neglect.

Yet other times neglect goes beyond a simple mistake such as this and may become outright abuse. Physical injuries such as bruising, broken bones, cuts, swelling, and other injuries are indicative of truly abusive conduct by caregivers in a nursing home facility.

Emotional and psychological abuse by caregivers, while more difficult to prove, may also play a factor along with physical signs of abuse or neglect. A loved one’s sudden change in behavior may indicate such abuse. Unusual patterns of behavior such as sudden frustration, anxiety, feelings of guilt, or depression can also indicate that abuse or neglect may be happening at the facility in which he or she resides.

Continue reading "What is Nursing Home Abuse and Neglect in Arizona?" »

You might have a feeling that a loved one is being abused, neglected, or exploited in a Mesa nursing home. Obviously, your “gut feeling” can’t ever be used as evidence at a trial. However, that gut feeling could lead you to conclude that something is wrong and allow you to take steps to not only protect your loved one but to consider a possible lawsuit that will protect others in that Mesa nursing home.

Here are some signs and symptoms to be aware of:

• Look for things like unexplained cuts, fractures, and bruises that happened while your loved one was staying at the facility. Another common sign to look for is bedsores. With proper care, these are oftentimes preventable. But in worst-case scenarios of abuse, they may cover an elderly person’s body. Also, if your loved one has joints that are frozen or are no longer moving, then that also might be a sign of lack of care or neglect at a Mesa nursing home facility. Other signs to look for include unexplained anal or vaginal bleeding and/or bloody underwear. These would indicate that there could be a case of sexual abuse or neglect happening.
• Also, there are cases of elder abuse involving the individual being denied a proper amount of food or water, so that they become malnourished or dehydrated. You may be able to recognize the signs and symptoms of this kind of abuse on or own, or it may take a doctor’s diagnosis.
• In addition, signs of poor personal hygiene or an elderly person not wanting to be cared for anymore might be signs of something more serious going on.
• Another red flag when it comes to elder abuse is if you are denied access to your loved one or you’re not allowed to visit with your loved one alone.

Continue reading "What are Some Common Physical Signs of Nursing Home Abuse & Neglect?" »

Families who put their loved ones in nursing homes do it because they feel it is in the best interest of their loved one. They do everything possible to make sure they research the best possible nursing homes and do everything they can so that their loved one is well taken care of by specialists and experts in a nursing home. However, top Arizona nursing home injury lawyers know that far too often Arizona residents are badly abused or neglected in nursing home facilities. This does not mean that all nursing homes are bad, but that all nursing homes can be responsible for any injury that occurs.

However, it does mean that looking for signs of neglect and holding nursing homes responsible is vital. It is not only vital for the protection and safety of a loved one who has been hurt, but for all others at that facility in the future.

Continue reading "Nursing Home Injuries and Abuse: What Can You Do?" »

Campaign donations are a powerful thing. According to the House of Representatives, a jury cannot be trusted to decide how much money is reasonable compensation to somebody injured by the negligence of a doctor. According to the same people, a jury is fully capable to decide whether a man is guilty, and whether he should be put to death for his crime. A jury is capable of life and death decisions, but not capable to decide decisions relating to money. How can this be? I guess it just depends on who is giving you donations.

A criminal jury and civil jury come from the same people, who live in the same county. They are chosen randomly, so the same people that sit on a criminal trial could have just as easily sat that same day on a medical negligence trial.

For instance, here is an example of two trials that may occur in Maricopa county, during the same week, with the same jurors making the decision:

Trial 1: A doctor is accused of leaving a medical instrument in a baby, which causes severe permanent damage. The baby will suffer for a lifetime from the carelessness. They jury has to decide how much money the insurance company will pay in fair compensation.

Trial 2: A man is accused of shooting a stranger in cold-blood to steal $20. The stranger died. The jury has to decide whether that man is guilty, and whether he should be put to death for his crime.

The same people who became jurors in the first trial could just as easily have been on the second trial. In one case, money rests on a jury’s decision. In the other case, a man’s life rests on a jury’s decision.

Continue reading "WE TRUST YOU TO DECIDE LIFE AND DEATH, WE JUST DO NOT TRUST YOUR OPINION ON MONEY" »