Philadelphia Nursing Home Abuse Lawyer

We Win Cases and We Win Respect

• Marc Brecher is recognized as a Pennsylvania Super Lawyer and is among the Top 100 Trial Lawyers recognized by the National Trial Lawyers Association.
• Robert S. Miller’s track record of multimillion-dollar victories has helped our clients move forward with their lives after suffering terrible injuries.
• David Sternberg has a long history of winning cases, with specific experience in nursing home abuse.
• Learn about other injury attorneys on our accomplished team.

We Get Excellent Results for Our Nursing Home Abuse Clients

We’ve won numerous multimillion-dollar victories for our clients. Our record of winning injury and abuse cases speaks for itself. When we take our case, you will have a dedicated, compassionate attorney at your side. Our team will help you and your loved one get justice and find a path toward a more secure, safe future. We will pursue every possible avenue in our relentless search for details of the abuse your loved one suffered. We are passionate in fighting for our clients and will zealously pursue the maximum compensation you can receive in your case.

Here is a sampling of our victories:

• $45 million for an abuse victim
• $8.4 million for a brain injury stemming from delayed diagnosis
• $7 million for a birth trauma resulting in brain damage
• $400,000 for a nursing home resident who developed bed sores
• There are many more. See our other winning results.

How a Lawsuit Matters for Victims of Nursing Home Abuse

When a nursing home has endangered your loved one, you must stop the abuse. A lawsuit can rescue your relative and hold the owners, managers and other responsible parties accountable 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 immediate cause of abuse
• Protecting the victim
• Preventing other residents from being similarly abused in the future
• Creating greater accountability for nursing homes in general.

In addition, a successful lawsuit means victims and their family may be awarded compensation for the damages that they received. Tragically, sometimes abuse is so severe it causes death. If you’ve suffered this terrible loss, our attorneys can help. It is possible to also file a wrongful death claim against a nursing home to ensure you get full justice and all the compensation possible in a more complex wrongful death case.

The nursing home lawyers at Wapner Newman will ensure justice is served. Contact our office today at (215) 569-0900 to get a free consultation.

Whether you live in Pennsylvania or New Jersey, we can help answer your questions about a nursing home abuse claim.

Abuse Happens Too Often in Nursing Homes

Our Nursing Home Abuse Attorney in Philadelphia Knows How to Help

Nursing home residents are too frequently the innocent victims of a wide range of mistreatment by staff that includes physical, emotional and non-verbal abuse and inadequate medical care and neglect. To combat this problem, the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania has numerous laws in place to protect them, including a clear definition of a nursing home resident’s rights.

Sadly, and disturbingly, news reports and surveys by multiple state health departments reveal that sexual assaults of nursing home and long-term care facility residents committed by employees are becoming “widespread.” Even the Pennsylvania Attorney General announced a state-level investigation into abuse and neglect of nursing home residents. Growing studies of this nationwide problem are being conducted to better understand the problem and take action to prevent it from expanding. Nursing home inspectors discovered repeated occurrences where nursing home administrators either mishandled or failed to prevent alleged cases of sexual assault, as well as other types of assault and abuse, at their facilities.

Nursing home officials are often reluctant to properly investigate and report the allegations, and they hide their findings from inspectors.

Elderly nursing home residents are easy prey, because many of them are helpless, confused or suffering from dementia and other mental issues. Frequently, staff members doubt the accusers, thinking they are hallucinating or imagining it. The attention of our skilled nursing home abuse lawyer in Philadelphia can seek justice for harms experienced by nursing home residents. Don’t hesitate to call us to discuss your case.

Abuse Can Come from Other Nursing Home Residents

It is the responsibility of a nursing home’s staff to keep residents safe. This includes protecting residents from abuse at the hands of other residents. As many as 20 percent of nursing home residents experience verbal or physical abuse from roommates or other residents, one U.S. study suggests.

During the four-week study, 407 out of 2,011 residents had been involved in an abusive incident with another resident. Forty-five percent of these incidents involved verbal abuse, while 26 percent involved physical assault.

Resident-on-resident abuse can be a tragic source of violence no one anticipates when you believe your loved one is safe in their facility. Regardless of where the abuse comes from, it should be considered unacceptable. If you believe your loved one has been subjected to abuse at the hands of another resident, don’t hesitate to contact the nursing home abuse attorneys at Wapner Newman to learn more about your legal options.

Our Nursing Home Abuse Attorneys Handle Neglect Cases as Well

Neglecting elderly patients and providing negligent care can cause as much harm as active abuse. Nursing homes are often understaffed, or there can be a lack of communication between staff members or between staff members and patients that leads to dangerous conditions and resulting injuries.

Examples of nursing home neglect include:

• Failure to properly respond to distress, to properly move or assist residents. This may result in bedsores, falls, broken bones, bruises, head or internal injuries.
• Failure to provide sanitary conditions, proper nutrition, or any other resident needs.
• Failure to administer proper medication in a timely manner or to prescribe the appropriate type or dosage of a needed medication.
• Failure to appropriately investigate employees for criminal records, drug problems or behavioral issues.
• Improper security, allowing residents to wandering off or for outsiders to enter the facility.
• Negligence in training staff on policies/procedures such as reporting accidents and injuries.

Our Nursing Home Lawyers Know the Protections Available by Law

Our Attorneys Will Hold Nursing Homes Accountable When These Are Violated

There are Pennsylvania laws governing the ownership and general operation of long-term care nursing facilities. They apply to both profit and non-profit nursing homes which provide skilled nursing care, intermediate nursing care, or both. They must meet a range of standards set by state agencies that oversee the conduct of nursing homes and how they care for residents. They must also report any incidents or injuries that happen in their nursing home (28 Pa. Code §201.14).

The law defines nursing home abuse and states the rights of residents (28 Pa. Code §201.29). It states that all residents “shall be treated with consideration, respect and full recognition of dignity and individuality, including privacy in treatment and in care for the necessary personal and social needs.”

The law also recognizes the right of a nursing home resident to seek financial compensation for injury resulting from abuse or neglect.

Damage Awards You May Receive

In a successful case, our nursing home abuse attorneys can win a settlement for damages that include financial compensation for:

• medical and rehabilitation bills
• out-of-pocket expenses, such as having to hire private nurses for additional care
• pain and suffering
• lost wages, if appropriate.

Our Nursing Home Attorneys Must Prove Negligence and Fault

To win your case, our attorneys would have to show that your loved one’s injuries were caused by another party’s negligence, carelessness, or willful behavior. Legally, this means showing the following elements:

• Duty: Nursing homes are held to high standards of care to keep residents safe and to deliver professional quality services.
• Breach: There was a breach of this duty of care.
• Cause: This breach caused the injuries to the resident.
• Damages: The resident suffered damages as a result.

Our nursing home attorneys would conduct investigations to find all parties responsible for the abuse and neglect and hold them accountable. These parties may include the owners and administrators of the facility, doctors, nurses, attendants, or other residents. They may all have insurance or assets that can go toward a settlement award.

Our Nursing Home Abuse Lawyers Are Here to Help

Trusted, Compassionate Attorneys Will Guide You

Wapner Newman’s nursing home abuse lawyers in Philadelphia have been assisting elderly victims of abuse in New Jersey and Pennsylvania for 40 years. We have successfully litigated cases involving abuse of patients in long-term care facilities, nursing homes and hospitals, and our verdicts and settlements speak for themselves.

Our attorneys are tireless in their pursuit of justice in these cases, and we will fight to ensure that your loved one is taken care of in the years to come.

If your loved one has suffered from nursing home abuse in Philadelphia, please contact Wapner Newman today at (215) 569-0900 to get a free initial consultation with a nursing home attorney.

We understand that the need to be available for your loved one may make getting to our office difficult. We are always ready to help you, so if transportation is an issue, we will come to you. Wapner Newman’s team of nursing home lawyers serves clients throughout Pennsylvania and New Jersey from our offices in Philadelphia, West Conshohocken, Center Valley, and Marlton.