St. Louis County Inattentive Staff Lawyer
Nursing home abuse is a growing problem across the country. While the term abuse often implies some form of intentional violence, the reality is not as simple. When residents feel like the staff has ignored them, they often attempt to care for themselves. Injuries commonly occur when this happens.
If you are concerned your loved one suffered an injury due to inattentive nursing home staff, a practiced injury attorney could answer your legal questions. A St. Louis County inattentive staff lawyer could help you and your family seek compensation for your loved one’s injuries.
What Risks are Associated with Inattentive Nursing Home Staff?
Many nursing home residents need constant supervision to ensure their needs are met. In some cases, the failure to attend to these needs could have dramatic consequences. A resident that needs to exit their bed could fall after attempting to do it by themselves. These residents could also take the wrong medication or even wander away from the facility if unsupervised.
In other cases, inattentive staff can lead to serious health issues. A failure to turn or move a patient could cause bedsores, for example. The impact of failing to provide proper nutrition or medication could be fatal in some cases.
How Does Someone Pursue a Lawsuit in St Louis County?
Since 1987, Missouri has been subject to a federal law known as the Nursing Home Reform Act. This statute requires the state to set up formal guidelines guaranteeing the rights of nursing home residents and providing them with a method to report their abuse.
While reporting abuse to the Department of Health and Senior Services is important, it is not the only legal option for a nursing home resident injured by inattentive staff. While a report to Department could impact the facility, only a civil lawsuit can provide an injured resident with financial compensation.
Proving Negligence
To prevail at trial, a St Louis County attorney representing a victim of inattentive staff must establish negligence. The staff of a nursing home owes each resident a high duty of care, and failing to provide it could open both the facility and the worker up to civil liability.
Proving negligence in these cases typically relies on witness testimony. The injury victim could testify to the fact that they were ignored by staff when they had an urgent need that resulted in injury. Other residents or staff could also testify that they witnessed the staff away from their post or otherwise failing to pay attention while on duty. A St. Louis County inattentive staff lawyer could support these accounts with video evidence or employee time records.
Contact a St Louis County Inattentive Staff Attorney Immediately
Nursing home residents have the right to live their lives free from neglect. Unfortunately, inattentive nursing home staff could neglect a resident to the point that they suffer an injury or illness.
If your family member sustained an injury due to inattentive staff at a residential nursing home, they have the right to seek financial damages through a civil lawsuit. Contact a St. Louis County inattentive staff lawyer right away to learn more.