Nursing Home Negligence Lawyer in Seattle
With the U.S. General Accounting Office estimating that more than 43 percent of all Americans over the age of 65 will reside in a nursing home at some time in their lives, monitoring the safety and care provided to elder adults in these facilities becomes increasingly essential, and something that will impact most people personally.
If you suspect that you or a loved one is a victim of elder abuse or nursing home negligence, retaining a personal injury lawyer knowledgeable of Washington elder abuse laws could help you get the compensation you and your family deserve. King County nursing home negligence lawyer Pino Certa is a skilled litigator for elder abuse claims. Contact the Seattle law offices of Certa Law Group at 888-314-8572 for a free evaluation of your nursing home neglect or personal injury case today.
Key Washington State Statistics on Nursing Home Neglect and Elder Abuse
According to the Washington State Aging & Disability Services Administration:
- In Washington State 94 percent of nursing homes had “deficiencies” in 2008
- 2.9 percent of Washington nursing homes were cited for substandard quality of care in 2008
- In King County alone there were 2,894 elder abuse incidents reported in 2007, with 302 substantiated claims
- For the entirety of Washington State, 13,551 incidents of elder abuse were reported, with 1,463 substantiated claims in 2007
Definition of Elder Abuse
Types of elder abuse as defined by the Washington State Department of Social and Health Services:
- Physical abuse: intentional bodily injury
- Emotional or mental abuse: deliberately causing mental or emotional pain
- Sexual abuse: non-consensual sexual contact
- Exploitation: using vulnerable adult’s resources or income for another person’s profit or gain
- Neglect: another person, either through action or inaction, deprives an elder of necessary care
- Self-neglect: elder adult fails to provide adequately for themselves
- Abandonment: elder adult left without ability to obtain life necessities
How to Spot Elder Abuse and Nursing Home Negligence
Signifiers of elder abuse and nursing home neglect:
- Bruises, lacerations, broken bones
- Untreated injuries, unattended health problems, untreated bedsores
- Lab findings showing either overdose or under dose of medications
- Sudden change in behavior on part of elder adult
- Caregiver’s refusal to allow visitors to see elder adult alone
- Elder adult is emotionally upset or agitated
- Nervousness around certain people on part of elder adult
- Dehydration, malnutrition, poor personal hygiene
- Unexplained sudden transfer of assets to a family member or someone outside the family
- Adding additional names on bank signature cards
- Abrupt changes in a will or other financial documents
- Nursing home providing services that are not necessary
- Deserting an elder adult in public place or in his/her own home or living space
Contact Seattle nursing home negligence lawyer Pino Certa today at 888-314-8572 for a free evaluation of your nursing home neglect or personal injury case.
Our law firm is conveniently located in Seattle, in the Columbia Center and near City Hall. We have assisted clients from Seattle, Tacoma, Kent, and Everett and throughout King, Pierce and Snohomish Counties achieve successful outcomes to their personal injury cases.
Certa Law Group is experienced in handling personal injury cases including, but not limited to, car and motorcycle accidents, construction site accidents, premises liability, product liability, medical malpractice, dog bites, elder abuse and insurance claim disputes.
