If someone you love has been abused at a nursing home in Austin, Texas, call Heaton McLean Personal Injury Lawyers at (512) 503-4878 for a free consultation. Our experienced Austin nursing home abuse lawyers are prepared to help you demand the compensation you need and deserve.
Backed by 32 years of combined experience, our award-winning Texas trial attorneys have helped injury victims and families across the Lone Star State win millions of dollars in financial awards. Now, we’re ready to help you stand up to a nursing facility and demand justice for your loved one’s abuse. Contact our Austin law office to arrange a free case review today.
Why Trust Heaton McLean Personal Injury Lawyers With Your Nursing Home Abuse Case in Austin, TX?
Standing up to a nursing home or care facility takes courage—and the right legal team by your side. When your loved one has suffered abuse or neglect, you need an experienced Austin personal injury lawyer who will fight relentlessly for justice and accountability.
At Heaton McLean Personal Injury Lawyers, families throughout Austin trust us because we combine compassion with strategy. Our attorneys have recovered millions of dollars for victims of abuse and neglect. As proud members of the Austin community, we’re deeply committed to protecting the rights and dignity of our neighbors and their families.
Don’t let the nursing home or its insurance company decide what your case is worth. Let our Texas nursing home abuse attorneys in Austin stand up for your loved one and fight for the full compensation your family deserves. Call our law office today to schedule your free consultation and take the first step toward justice.
What is Nursing Home Abuse?
Nursing home abuse can be defined as the intentional or reckless mistreatment of a nursing home resident by one of their caretakers.
It happens more often than you might think. According to surveys conducted by the World Health Organization, two-thirds of nursing home caretakers admitted to having abused a resident in the past year.
There are five major categories of nursing home abuse:
- Physical abuse: causing a resident bodily harm through physical violence or by using unnecessarily tight restraints
- Psychological abuse: intentionally causing a resident to suffer emotional distress by taunting, teasing, isolating, berating, or gaslighting
- Sexual abuse: forcing a resident to engage in or watch sexually explicit activity without their consent
- Financial abuse: identity theft or misappropriation of a resident’s money or property
- Neglect: preventing a resident from getting necessary food, water, medication, assistance, or medical care
It’s not unusual for nursing home residents to experience more than one type of abuse. However, emotional abuse is the most commonly reported type of abuse in nursing facilities.
What Are the Signs That a Nursing Home Resident Is Being Abused or Neglected?
While it will depend on the type of abuse a resident is experiencing, critical signs of abuse include:
- Unexplained signs of physical trauma, including broken bones, bruising, cuts and lacerations, or burns
- Bed sores and pressure ulcers
- Changes in mood or behavior, including increased irritability, fearfulness, agitation, depression, or anxiety
- Isolation
- Flinching around caretakers
- Unexplained medical conditions, including infections or illnesses
- Malnutrition
- Dehydration
If you suspect that an aging, elderly, or disabled family member is being abused at a nursing home in Austin, don’t hesitate to report your suspicions to the home and, if you believe harm is imminent, call the Austin Police Department for immediate assistance. You can also report nursing home abuse in Austin to the Texas Department of State Health Services.
Who’s Liable for Nursing Abuse in Austin?
In the state of Texas, anyone who plays a part in a nursing home resident’s abuse or mistreatment can be liable for harm caused.
Depending on the specific circumstances of your situation, you might have a legitimate legal claim against one or more of the following parties:
- Nurse or Nurse Practitioner
- Doctor
- Rehabilitation specialist
- Nursing home staff member
- Nursing home or assisted living facility
Our Austin nursing home abuse attorneys will carefully investigate your case and determine who’s responsible for your family member’s injuries and suffering. Once liability is clear, we won’t rest until the abusive caretaker and the nursing facility are held fully accountable.
What Could My Nursing Home Abuse Case Be Worth?
There is no set value for nursing home abuse cases. Everyone will have different reactions to being abused, and their lives will be affected in different ways.
So, the amount of money that can be awarded in a personal injury claim will really depend on:
- The types of nursing abuse your family member experienced
- The physical injuries your loved one has suffered
- Changes in your loved one’s quality of life
- The value of property or assets stolen from your family member
The more severely your family member is injured, and the more their life changes because of the way they’ve been mistreated at the nursing home, the more money a related personal injury claim might be worth.
What Compensation Can Be Awarded to Victims of Nursing Abuse in Austin?
When you sue a nursing home in Austin for abuse or neglect, you can request two different types of compensatory damages: economic and non-economic.
Economic Damages
Economic damages are awarded to cover any current or future financial consequences of abuse, such as:
- Medical bills
- Rehabilitation
- Out-of-pocket expenses
- Personal care assistance
- Restitution for theft or monetary loss
Our Austin nursing home abuse lawyers will carefully calculate the full extent of your financial losses to ensure your family receives every dollar of compensation you deserve.
Non-Economic Damages
Non-economic damages are intended to acknowledge an abused resident’s harder-to-value struggles and trauma, such as:
- Pain and suffering
- Loss of enjoyment of life
- Disfigurement
- Scarring
- Chronic physical pain
- Loss of consortium
- Embarrassment
- Post-traumatic stress disorder
Texas law also permits punitive damages when a jury finds by clear and convincing evidence that a nursing home or caretaker acted maliciously or was grossly negligent.
Abused Nursing Home Residents in Austin Can Suffer Severe Physical Injuries
When a resident is abused at a nursing home in Austin, TX, it often goes unreported. So, abuse can go on for a while before it’s discovered.
As a result, nursing home residents are susceptible to many severe physical injuries, including:
- Broken bones and fractures
- Eye injuries
- Vision loss
- Hearing loss
- Facial injuries
- Dental injuries
- Sprains, strains, and contusions
- Other soft tissue injuries
- Bed sores
- Chest injuries
- Burn injuries
- Amputation injuries
- Cuts and lacerations
- Nerve damage
- Wrongful death
Residents who aren’t physically injured can still be severely traumatized. Many times, severe depression, anxiety, and fear can be just as difficult to cope with as physical bodily harm.
What Does it Cost to Hire a Nursing Home Abuse Attorney in Austin?
Our Austin nursing home abuse attorneys represent clients on a contingency fee basis. You’ll pay nothing to hire our personal injury law firm until we’ve won compensation for your nursing abuse case.
When we win, our attorney’s fees are deducted from the settlement or jury award we obtain for your family at trial. If we don’t win your nursing home abuse case, you pay us nothing at all.
What’s the Statute of Limitations on Nursing Home Abuse Lawsuits in Texas?
Generally speaking, a two-year statute of limitations applies to nursing home abuse lawsuits in the state of Texas. This gives you two years from the last reported date of abuse to formally seek damages from the nursing facility or the abusive caretaker.
The statute of limitations for wrongful death claims is also two years if nursing home abuse is fatal. You must file your nursing home abuse lawsuit before the filing deadline passes, or you’ll lose the ability to demand justice for your family member’s suffering.
Schedule a Free Consultation With an Experienced Austin Nursing Home Abuse Attorney
Call Heaton McLean Personal Injury Lawyers if someone you care about has been abused or neglected at a nursing facility in Austin, Texas. Your family might be entitled to compensation, and our experienced Austin nursing home abuse attorneys can help you fight for a meaningful financial recovery.
There’s no charge for an initial case evaluation, so contact our Austin law office for assistance today.
Visit Our Personal Injury Law Office Located in Austin, TX
Heaton McLean Personal Injury Lawyers
3933 Steck Avenue, Suite B-115, Austin, TX 78759
(512) 503-4878
Hours: M-F 8:30 AM–5:30 PM