Maryland Nursing Home Lawyer Blog
Nursing home abuse, while unfortunately common, is often difficult to catch or prove. Often, the victims are seriously disabled and vulnerable, and they may be unable to tell someone about the incident or even remember the incident at all. If they do manage to tell someone, their credibility may be undermined by the nursing home itself, denying that the incident happened and blaming the victim’s disability for causing them to lie or imagine things. Because of this, more and more nursing home residents and their families are installing cameras in nursing homes to monitor interactions between staff and the resident and look for instances of abuse.
Sometimes, these cameras can be the sole reason why a negligent nursing home is held responsible for the abuse that occurs in their facility. For example, a recent Minnesota nursing home recently discovered a video of a caregiver physically and verbally abusing a severely disabled resident. According to a local news report covering the incident, the staff member taunted the resident with derogatory and humiliating language, calling them vulgar names and asking them “do you think you have a hole in your brain?” The video also shows the caregiver tapping the resident’s face “in a slapping-type motion.” Without the video, the incident may never have been uncovered; the resident is partially paralyzed and has lost the ability to understand or express speech, and it is highly unlikely that they ever would have reported it themselves.
Fortunately for Maryland residents, the state’s laws allow a resident, or their family with the resident’s permission, to place hidden video cameras in the resident’s room. These video cameras can increase transparency in nursing homes and make it easier to catch incidents of abuse when they happen. They can also make it easier to pursue a resulting personal injury claim against the nursing home. Many personal injury cases against nursing homes likely would not have been won without video evidence, since the nursing home generally denies that any abuse occurred, and it can be difficult without hard evidence for plaintiffs to prove otherwise. Maryland is one of only a handful of states that allow video camera installation in nursing homes, and the nursing home industry actively fights against similar laws in other states.
Call a Maryland Nursing Home Abuse Attorney
Sometimes, families may find themselves in an incredibly difficult position. They know that their loved one has suffered abuse or neglect in their nursing home but are unsure how to prove it or hold the nursing home accountable. Lebowitz & Mzhen, Personal Injury Lawyers can help. Representing plaintiffs in Maryland, Washington, D.C., and Virginia, our dedicated and experienced attorneys are familiar with common barriers that plaintiffs face, and we know how to overcome them. Contact us today, and we can help you bring a claim against a nursing home and pursue the compensation that you deserve, including damages for past and future medical bills, pain and suffering, psychological trauma, or other injuries suffered. To learn more and to schedule a free, no-risk consultation, call us at 800-654-1949, or fill out our online form.