When someone you love is abused or neglected at a nursing home in Houston, Texas, it’s important to take swift action. Call The de la Garza Law Group at (713) 784-1010 to schedule a free consultation. You could be entitled to compensation, and our exceptionally talented Houston nursing home abuse lawyers can help you achieve the case results you deserve.
Our team fights to hold wrongdoers accountable for serious accidents and injuries. Providing honest, compassionate, and aggressive legal representation, we’ve been able to win over $50 million in settlements and jury awards for our clients.
Why Choose The de la Garza Law Group for Help With a Nursing Home Abuse Case in Houston, TX?
If you suspect a loved one has suffered abuse or neglect in a nursing home, the Houston nursing home abuse attorneys at The de la Garza Law Group are ready to help. Our legal team brings 46 years of combined experience advocating for victims and families throughout Houston, TX, and we understand how devastating these situations can be.
As trusted Houston personal injury lawyers, we are committed to holding negligent nursing homes and caregivers accountable for the harm they cause. Our firm has recovered over $50 million for injured clients, reflecting our dedication to pursuing meaningful results and justice for those we represent.
We take the time to listen, investigate what happened, and build a strong case aimed at protecting your loved one and preventing further harm. When you work with our team, you receive compassionate guidance and determined legal advocacy every step of the way.
Contact us today to schedule one of our free consultations and learn how we can help your family move forward.
What is Nursing Home Abuse?
Nursing home abuse is the persistent mistreatment of nursing home residents by their caretakers. It happens more often than you might think. According to a World Health Organization (WHO) survey, two-thirds of caretakers admitted to abusing or neglecting a resident over a one-year period.
Abuse can manifest in a lot of different ways. Generally speaking, there are five main types of nursing abuse: physical, emotional or psychological, sexual, financial, and neglect.
Physical Abuse
Physical nursing home abuse occurs when a caretaker intentionally causes a resident to suffer bodily harm. This often involves hitting, pushing, pulling hair, squeezing, or using restraints that are unnecessary or too tight.
Emotional Abuse
Most nursing home abuse isn’t physical – it’s emotional. Nursing home staff don’t have to lay a hand on residents to cause harm. Psychological nursing home abuse involves consistent, malicious behavior that causes a resident to become fearful and anxious, develop mental health issues, and often withdraw from social interactions with family and peers. Examples include teasing, gaslighting, threatening, isolating from others, and name-calling.
Sexual Abuse
Sexual nursing home abuse occurs when a resident is forced to engage in or watch sexually explicit activities with their caretaker or other residents. Many residents in nursing homes are unable to consent due to health conditions like Alzheimer’s and dementia.
Financial Abuse
The elderly are particularly susceptible to financial abuse, especially in nursing home environments. Financial abuse can involve identity theft, theft of personal property, and misappropriation of funds.
Neglect
Abuse can also involve neglect. Neglect occurs when a resident’s health, well-being, and safety are overlooked or ignored. This can include withholding food or water, failing to obtain medical care or treatment, not giving a resident their medication, failing to help a resident move to avoid falls, or simply not checking in on a resident regularly. It’s common to see victims of nursing home neglect suffering from malnutrition, dehydration, and serious medical issues.
How Much is My Houston Nursing Home Abuse Case Worth?
Every victim’s story is different. Every victim’s situation is unique. So, too, is the amount of money that can be awarded to victims of nursing home abuse in a civil lawsuit.
The potential value of your family’s nursing home abuse case will depend on:
- How your family member was abused
- The type and severity of any physical injuries your loved one suffered
- Financial losses due to theft or fraud
- How your family member’s quality of life has changed
- Whether it’ll be necessary to transfer care to a different facility
- Whether your family member needed to be hospitalized or requires long-term medical care
- Your loved one’s age and life expectancy
- Who’s responsible for the abuse
More severe injuries and trauma tend to translate to higher settlements and verdicts at trial. However, expect the nursing home and its insurance company to fight back aggressively, disputing liability and trying to downplay any injuries or emotional trauma your loved one has experienced.
Nursing Home Abuse Can Lead to Serious Physical Injuries
At The de la Garza Law Group, we advocate for victims of nursing home abuse who are suffering from:
- Broken bones
- Cuts and lacerations
- Bruises and contusions
- Soft tissue injuries
- Bed sores
- Infections
- STDs
- Burn injuries
- Back injuries
- Spinal cord injuries
- Brain injuries
- Eye injuries
- Wrongful death
If you suspect that a loved one has suffered any of these injuries due to nursing home abuse or neglect, The de la Garza Law Group is prepared to help you hold the responsible parties accountable and pursue the compensation your family deserves.
What Compensation Can Be Awarded to Victims of Nursing Home Abuse in Houston?
When you bring a civil lawsuit against an abusive nursing home in Houston, TX, you can ask for two types of compensatory damages: economic and non-economic.
Economic damages are awarded to help you manage financial fallout, such as:
- Medical bills
- Rehabilitation
- Nursing assistance
- Out-of-pocket expenses
- Restitution
- Funeral expenses if the nursing abuse results in a resident’s wrongful death
Non-economic damages are awarded to acknowledge the life changes and trauma that can happen when someone is abused at a nursing home in Houston, such as:
- Pain and suffering
- Physical disfigurement
- Scarring
- Reduced quality of life
- Emotional distress
- Chronic physical pain
- Loss of consortium
- Embarrassment
Punitive damages might also be awarded if there’s convincing proof that the nursing home, caretaker, or another defendant was grossly negligent in managing the resident’s care or inflicted harm maliciously.
Who Can Be Liable For Nursing Home Abuse in Houston?
Under Texas law, anyone who contributes to nursing home abuse – even indirectly – can be liable for a resident’s injuries or wrongful death.
Depending on your loved one’s situation and the type of abuse they’ve experienced, this could include a:
- Certified nursing assistant (CNA)
- Doctor, nurse, or another healthcare provider employed by the nursing home
- Therapist or psychologist
- Nursing home administrator
- Nursing facility
When liability is shared by multiple parties, it’s proportionate to fault. The more of a role someone plays in nursing abuse, the more they’ll be on the hook for resident damages.
What Does it Cost to Hire a Nursing Home Abuse Attorney in Houston?
You don’t have to pay anything out of pocket when you hire The de la Garza Law Group to handle your nursing home abuse case. Our Houston personal injury law firm takes cases on a contingency fee basis. There’s no cost unless we win.
When we obtain a favorable settlement or win your nursing abuse lawsuit at trial, our attorney fees (and any costs we’ve invested in litigation) are deducted from your monetary award. You owe nothing if we aren’t successful in recovering compensation for your family.
How Long Do I Have to File a Nursing Home Abuse Lawsuit in Texas?
Texas applies a two-year statute of limitations to most nursing home abuse cases. This gives you up to two years from the date a resident is injured or dies from their injuries to pursue compensation. If abuse is ongoing, the statute of limitations runs from the last known date of abuse.
When the statute of limitations runs out, you can lose the ability to file a lawsuit and hold the nursing home accountable for the harm it’s caused.
Schedule a Free Consultation With an Experienced Houston Nursing Home Abuse Lawyer
If you believe a loved one has been abused or neglected in a Houston nursing home, assisted living facility, or long-term care home, The de la Garza Law Group is here to help. Our experienced Houston nursing home abuse attorneys are committed to holding negligent facilities and caregivers accountable while protecting the rights and well-being of vulnerable residents.
Our firm has earned a reputation for providing strong, compassionate legal advocacy and has recovered millions of dollars for injured clients and their families. Contact our Houston office today to schedule a free consultation and learn how we can help your family pursue justice.
Visit Our Personal Injury Law Office in Houston, TX
The de la Garza Law Group
1616 S Voss Rd Suite 870,
Houston, TX 77057
(713) 784-1010
24/7
