Erie
Nursing Home Abuse Lawyer

On This Page

1. We Can Help You Make the Nursing Home That Hurt Your Loved One Pay
2. Berger and Green Can Help You Take Action
3. Recognizing Nursing Home Abuse and Neglect
4. What to do If You Believe Your Loved One is the Victim of Abuse or Neglect
5. Call Berger and Green for Help with Your Nursing Home Abuse Case

REVIEWED BY

C. William Kenny

February 02, 2024

Board certified by National Board of Trial Advocacy

If your loved one suffered abuse while residing in a nursing home, Berger and Green can help you seek justice. Our Erie attorneys can help you fight for compensation for damages related to your family member’s substandard care.

We Can Help You Make the Nursing Home That Hurt Your Loved One Pay

If your loved one sustained an injury due to nursing home abuse or neglect, we can help you hold the facility financially responsible. Our attorneys can help you pursue:

The Cost of Your Family Member’s Medical Treatment

We can help you recover the cost of your loved one’s past and future medical bills, including medications, surgical procedures, hospitalizations, and rehabilitation services.

Nursing Home Fees

We can help you seek reimbursement for fees paid to the nursing home where your loved one suffered harm. We will also pursue damages for the cost of relocating your family member to a new facility.

Pain and Suffering

Your loved one may be entitled to awards for the physical and emotional pain they endured. This award may include compensation for depression, anxiety, stress, trauma, and mental anguish.

Personal Property Damages

We can help you seek compensation for missing or stolen assets or personal property. This could include the value of jewelry, bank accounts, and/or retirement benefits.

Wrongful Death Damages

If your loved one passed because of abuse or neglect, we can help you hold the nursing home accountable for their wrongful death. According to 42 Pa. C.S.A. § 8301, a personal representative of the deceased’s estate can take action for a death “caused by the wrongful act or neglect or unlawful violence or negligence of another.”

Wrongful death compensation may include the deceased’s final medical expenses, funeral and burial costs, and pain and suffering damages. In general, only the deceased’s spouse, children, or parents can receive wrongful death awards.

These surviving family members may also pursue compensation for their pain and suffering and the loss of their loved one’s companionship.

Berger and Green Can Help You Take Action

At Berger and Green, we take our commitment to the law and our clients seriously. We want to help you pursue every dollar available to your and your family. This task often begins with a claim against the at-fault nursing home’s liability insurance.

Our team will:

• Investigate conditions at your loved one’s nursing home
• Look into the actions of the home’s administration and staff
• Prove that abuse or neglect caused your loved one’s injuries
• Identify who is liable
• Interview eyewitnesses
• Enlist experts to testify on your loved one’s behalf
• File your insurance claim
• Handle calls, emails, and other communications with the insurance company
• Negotiate for the most advantageous settlement possible for your loved one

Our Nursing Home Abuse Lawyers Serving Erie Can Take Your Case to Civil Court

If we cannot achieve satisfactory compensation through an insurance claim, we can prepare your case for trial. According to 42 Pa. C.S.A. § 5524, you have two years to file a lawsuit for nursing home abuse in Pennsylvania. The clock on the statute begins when your loved one’s injuries occurred or were discovered.

If the statute of limitation runs out before you bring your lawsuit, you may not be able to take your case to court. An expired statute could also impact your chances of securing an insurance settlement. Our attorneys can tell you more and help you get started on your case right away.

Recognizing Nursing Home Abuse and Neglect

Nursing home abuse can take many forms. It is important to understand the signs of abuse so that you can protect your loved one. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), abuse can be:

Physical

Physical abuse is the use of any type of force or violence against a resident. It includes hitting, kicking, shoving, burning, or slapping and can result in injuries, functional impairment, and death.

Emotional

Also known as psychological abuse, this type of abuse includes name-calling, humiliation, threats of violence, harassment, and isolation. Emotional abuse can lead to fear, mental anguish, depression, and physical decline.

Sexual

Sexual abuse is any type of unwanted sexual contact, including verbal harassment. Signs of sexual abuse include bruises, scratches, or evidence of physical contact around the breasts or genitals.

Financial

Financial abuse is the misuse of a resident’s property or assets. If you notice changes to your loved one’s banking accounts, benefits, or official documents, they could be experiencing financial abuse. Missing money or property is another indication.

Neglect

Neglect is the failure to provide a resident with their basic needs, such as food, healthcare, shelter, and hygiene. Neglect can be intentional, but it can also be the unintended consequence of an understaffed facility or improperly trained employees.

Signs of neglect include dehydration, malnutrition, frequent falls and accidents, and unclean physical and environmental conditions.

What to do If You Believe Your Loved One is the Victim of Abuse or Neglect

If you have any reason to believe your loved one has experienced abuse or neglect, report it immediately. You can call the Pennsylvania Department of Aging (PDA) 24-hour hotline at 1-800-490-8505. You may also wish to contact the local police or sheriff’s department.

Remove your loved one from danger as soon as possible. Let the nursing home administration know about any incidents of abuse through a detailed, written report.

Call Berger and Green for Help with Your Nursing Home Abuse Case

For more than 40 years, Berger and Green has helped victims seek justice. We can help you fight back against those who harmed your loved one and your family.

We can take your case on contingency, meaning we do not collect a fee unless we win a settlement or verdict. To learn more about our services and working with an Erie attorney with our firm, call our offices at (412) 661-1400 today. You will receive a free, no-obligation case review.