Earlier this month in El Dorado, Kansas, a male nurse named Geofrey Nyanswego appeared before a judge in Butler County and entered a not guilty plea to several counts of neglect and abuse of patients at Victoria Falls Nursing Center. Evidently, the man was charged with the abuse or neglect of at least one patient and also the false imprisonment of another.
According to a report by a local news source, after entering his guilty plea, the man was released on his own recognizance and will return to court later this summer for a preliminary hearing. If convicted of the offenses, he faces potential jail time as well as a fine of up to $100,000. He was forced to surrender his nursing license and is prohibited from contacting the nursing home management, its employees, or its patients.
The CEO of the nursing home told reporters that the man has been fired from his post and that two other nurses were suspended as a result of the investigation. The nursing home was fined $155,000 for its failure to meet regulations.
Civil Liability for Nursing Home Abuse and Neglect
The article cited above describes the criminal consequences that one nurse may face as a result of his decision to neglect or abuse patients placed in his care. As a corollary to the criminal sanctions nurses may face if they choose to abuse or neglect their patients, there is also the possibility of civil liability to the victims for their conduct.
Nursing home patients are entitled to recover for any damages they suffer as a result of nursing home abuse or neglect, especially when the alleged abuse or neglect results in some kind of physical or mental condition not present before. A worsening of a previous condition may also help a nursing home abuse plaintiff prove a case.
In both nursing home abuse and nursing home negligence cases, the plaintiff must show that the nurse (and potentially the nursing home management) was negligent in some way. By showing that the actions of a nurse were intentional, a plaintiff meets this requirement, since intentional abuse is a more severe form of negligence.
Recovering for Nursing Home Abuse and Nursing Home Negligence
In many cases, nursing homes retain dedicated attorneys to defend them against these types of actions because if they are found liable their exposure can be extremely high. To make sure that you are not taken advantage of by the other side’s attorney, ensure you retain competent legal counsel yourself before pursuing your claim.
Have You Been Injured in a Nursing Home Incident?
If you or a loved one has recently been the victim of either nursing home abuse or nursing home neglect, make sure you speak to a dedicated Maryland nursing home attorney as soon as possible. It may be that you are entitled to a substantial sum of money to compensate you for the trouble and anguish you have been through. To learn more about the laws in Maryland that allow for victims of nursing home negligence and nursing home abuse to recover for their injuries, click here, or call 410-654-3600 today to schedule a free initial consultation.
See More Blog Posts:
Nursing Home Pays Out $3.3 Million in Negligence Suit, Maryland Nursing Home Lawyer Blog, published June 3, 2014.
Seventeen Employees of Michigan Nursing Home Facing Charges for Patient Abuse, Maryland Nursing Home Lawyer Blog, published May 13, 2014.