When looking for an elder abuse lawyer, it is essential to choose one with a strong track record. You can assess the firm’s success by examining their jury verdicts, and you should also consider factors such as their expertise, professionalism, and your comfort level working with them. Schedule consultations with several attorneys and compare their knowledge, experience, and communication style before making a final decision.
Attorneys with experience in elder abuse understand the physical and emotional indicators that may suggest mistreatment. They can assess a victim’s situation and recommend the appropriate legal remedy.
Legal Representation
Elder abuse takes many forms, and each type of abuse leaves deep wounds. It can be physical, like bruises and broken bones, or emotional, with acts of manipulation, neglect, or even financial exploitation. It can also be a combination of these or other forms of mistreatment that cause serious injury or even death.
Abuse of elderly adults can be committed by family members, acquaintances, friends, or professional caregivers. It can happen in homes, workplaces, and residential care facilities like nursing homes and rehab hospitals. It can even be committed by health professionals, such as nurses and doctors.
Financial Compensation
A successful elder abuse lawsuit can result in financial compensation for victims. This includes awards for pain and suffering, which may cover physical discomfort, emotional distress, anxiety, and fear. It can also compensate for a loss of enjoyment of life, which may be caused by the physical trauma and the inability to participate in hobbies and day-to-day activities.
Legal action can also hold the perpetrator accountable for their actions. This can help to prevent similar incidents in the future, as it sends a message that this type of behavior is unacceptable. A criminal conviction, either misdemeanor or felony, can carry significant jail time and fines.
Elderly people often have substantial savings and assets from years of hard work. Unfortunately, these are valuable targets for nefarious individuals. Financial exploitation of the elderly occurs frequently, with perpetrators including spouses and children. The attorneys at Jim Glaser Law can help victims of financial exploitation pursue justice by seeking civil damages.
Statute of Limitations
Unlike criminal cases, a victim or their family member will be responsible for bringing a civil claim to damages by the deadline. The statute of limitations dictates how long after the abuse occurs you will have to file a lawsuit, with rare exceptions. An attorney can explain your legal rights and help you get the compensation you deserve.
Gross neglect is the willful absence of and/or withholding of essential services, support, or care which a person in a fiduciary relationship has an obligation to provide (e.g. food, water, clothing, shelter, medical care, personal hygiene, comfort and safety).
Abuse of vulnerable adults is a serious crime that should not be ignored. The best way to prevent elder abuse is to be proactive, visiting your loved ones often and at different times of the day, noticing changes in their behavior and health, and documenting everything with photos or other evidence. This will help protect your loved one and also make it easier to bring criminal charges against the guilty party.
Criminal Charges
Elder abuse is a crime, and depending on the situation, it could result in fines or prison time. The base-level offense is considered a misdemeanor, while more serious cases, such as causing severe physical injury to an elderly person, are felony crimes. It’s important to note that not every case of elder abuse is reported, so it’s essential for victims and their loved ones to report any suspicious activity.
Abuse can be committed by spouses, family members, acquaintances, health care workers, or even professionals like financial advisors and accountants. Victims may suffer from emotional, sexual, or financial abuse. Signs of abuse include unexplained injuries, a lack of hygiene, and changes to the victim’s bank accounts such as new cards or sudden withdrawals. Criminal convictions can result in a year or more of jail time, as well as losing a professional license or the right to work with vulnerable adults. The guilty party can also be ordered to pay restitution for the money or property stolen from the victim.