Category: Wrongful Death

A Nursing Home Lawyer Can Stop Abuse and Neglect

Genesis HealthCare is the largest provider of nursing home and assisted living services in the country. Its website states that it operates more than 500 facilities nationwide. Though the company may consider itself a “leader,” many of its nursing home residents needlessly suffer due to neglect or abuse by its staff.

When you trust your loved one to a Genesis nursing home facility, you expect its employees and management to ensure your family member’s safety and happiness. When nursing home abuse and neglect injures your loved one, it can result in emotional and physical injuries that can impact every aspect of your family’s life, and even lead to death.

If your family member has suffered from abuse or neglect in a Genesis home, you should consult a nursing home abuse lawyer about filing a lawsuit to hold the owners, managers and other responsible parties liable so that other vulnerable residents will not be injured. Filing a legal claim of abuse or neglect against a nursing home or their staff helps by stopping the abuse from continuing, protecting the victim and other residents, and creating greater accountability for Genesis and nursing homes in general. In addition, a successful lawsuit means victims and their family may be awarded compensation for the damages that they received.

How Abuse and Neglect Happens at Genesis

Genesis is a for-profit corporation, and one way of increasing profit is to cut the number of staff at its facilities. As a result, nursing home staff is often inadequate and overworked and unable to properly supervise and care for residents. Such neglect can lead to serious situations including:

• Delayed or misdiagnosis of medical conditions
• Deficient medical care and failure to test for and treat conditions
• Medication errors
• Falls and injuries
• Bedsores and infections.

In addition, here there are times when nursing home abuse is deliberate, malicious and criminal. Such abuse may include:

• Physical abuse – assaulting, punching, hitting or pushing
• Sexual abuse – fondling private parts, sexual battery, or rape
• Psychological abuse – yelling at or belittling residents
• Financial abuse – illegally taking money or personal property.

Family members who suspect Genesis nursing home abuse or neglect at any of its facilities should take photographs and videos of any injuries, document what they think is happening, and get legal assistance immediately from a nursing home lawyer.

Genesis’ website lists facilities in Maryland that include:

• Franklin Woods Center, Baltimore
• Corsica Hills Center, Centreville
• Cromwell Center, Baltimore
• Perring Parkway Center, Baltimore
• Loch Raven Center, Baltimore
• Multi-Medical Center, Towson
• Heritage Center, Baltimore
• Homewood Center, Baltimore
• Long Green Center, Baltimore
• PowerBack Rehabilitation, Brightwood Campus
• Caton Manor, Baltimore
• Hammonds Lane Center, Brooklyn Park
• Catonsville Commons, Catonsville
• Patapsco Valley Center, Randallstown
• Severna Park Center, Severna Park
• The Pines, Easton
• Spa Creek Center, Annapolis
• Waugh Chapel Center, Gambrills
• Larkin Chase Center, Bowie
• Chesapeake Woods Center, Cambridge
• Doctors Community Rehabilitation and Patient Care Center, Lanham
• Fairland Center, Silver Spring
• Layhill Center, Silver Spring
• Crescent Cities Center, Riverdale
• Glade Valley Center, Walkersville
• Salisbury Rehabilitation and Nursing Center, Salisbury
• Woodside Center, Silver Spring
• Sligo Creek Center, Takoma Park
• Fox Chase Rehabilitation and Nursing Center, Silver Spring
• Shady Grove Center, Rockville
• Kingshire Manor, Rockville
• Bradford Oaks Center, Clinton
• Ballenger Creek, Frederick
• Waldorf Center, Waldorf
• La Plata Center, La Plata.

A Lawyer Handling Genesis Healthcare Cases Can Help You Get Compensation

Patient Neglect Lawsuits Against Genesis Nursing Homes

All nursing homes owe a duty of care to their residents to keep them safe and provide adequate medical and physical care. If they fail to do so and the result is injury or harm to your loved one, the nursing home can be held liable to pay your family compensation through a nursing home lawsuit.

Many Genesis lawsuits have been brought by family members of residents who have been injured and abused while living in their facilities. Genesis does not want these cases to go to trial, and for good reason.

An example of what can happen in a successful jury verdict is the $5 million in punitive damages in 2010 in Philadelphia involving a Genesis nursing home, Hillcrest Convalescent Home, and a local hospital, Jeanes Hospital. According to the Philadelphia Inquirer, the punitive damages award was for $3.5 million against Hillcrest and $1.5 million against Jeanes. The jury had also previously found the two liable for $1 million in damages due to the 2008 death of Joe Blango. The complaint states that Blango developed serious bed sores which became infected; he became seriously malnourished and dehydrated during hospital and nursing home stays; and the bed sores worsened and led to his death.

Nursing homes like Genesis want to avoid the bad publicity and extreme costs that can happen when a case is presented in front of a jury. As a result, when a Genesis nursing home is sued, it often results in a settlement when the nursing home realizes that fighting the allegations can not only damage its reputation, but going to court can ultimately cost it more money than the settlement. Genesis therefore commonly settles virtually all of the nursing home cases filed against it and is putting strict confidentiality language in the settlements.

If you even suspect your loved one is being abused or neglected in a Genesis home, an experienced nursing home lawyer can evaluate the individual circumstances and determine the best way to proceed.

Get Help from a Nursing Home Lawyer

If you believe that your loved one has been seriously injured or killed due to the negligence or fault of Genesis HealthCare staff, our nursing home abuse and neglect lawyers can help you address the situation and hold those responsible accountable for their actions. At the Law Offices of Roger S. Weinberg, you’ll find compassionate support and experienced advocates to help your family through the tough times. We have represented plaintiffs throughout Maryland who have brought legal actions against Genesis, including those involving claims such as:

• Stage 4 pressure ulcers (bedsores)
• Falls leading to brain injury and death
• Infected wounds leading to sepsis (a complication due to the body’s response to an infection) and death
• An unexplained injury that resulted in a subdural hematoma and death
• Malnutrition and dehydration.

Other common claims against Genesis include:

• Falls resulting in bone fractures
• Over-medication
• Failure to render nursing services
• Failure to obtain prompt emergency services
• Physical abuse by staff or other residents with known violent tendencies.

Don’t let nursing home abuse and neglect continue. Get the help you and your loved one need now.

Call the Law Office of Roger S. Weinberg at 410-825-3161 today