According to a recent report by the American Association for Justice, civil lawsuits help uncover nursing home abuse and insurance company offenses. “Where regulatory and legislative bodies have been unable to cope with this distressing rise of neglect and abuse of our elderly, the civil justice system has stepped into the breach,” said AAJ President Gibson Vance.This statement is contained in the report, Standing Up For Seniors: How the Civil Justice System Protects Elderly Americans. The report outlines how, through litigation, trial attorneys across the country have uncovered evidence of corporate programs aimed at terminating seniors’ benefits as well as evidence of nursing home abuse and neglect.
Nursing Home Abuse Lawyers are Champions of Neglected Seniors
As a New Jersey nursing home abuse lawyer, Donald Browne agrees with the report’s identification of a common theme of “abuse by insurance companies taking advantage of senior citizens.” Mr. Vance noted that “[c]orporate nursing homes and insurance companies have continually chosen to put profits ahead of the well-being of our most vulnerable population and that because governmental oversight of these problems was simply not feasible in all or even most cases, the civil justice system and trial lawyers have stepped in to fill the gaps“.
At the Mininno Law Office, we have spoken with hundreds of families distressed about the care their loved one receives at a nursing home. The families are upset about the lack of professionalism and lack of compassion. The attitudes of nursing home staff starts at the top and makes its way down to nursing home employees responsible for the most basic of human needs – nutrition, hydration, hygiene, and comfort. Donald Browne has questioned countless nursing home employees under oath – including owners, medical directors, administrators, directors of nursing, nursing supervisors, registered nurses, licensed practical nurses, certified nursing assistants, social workers, dieticians and physical therapists. The culture of the nursing home commonly starts with a corporate policy of maximizing profits, even to the detriment of the residents for which the nursing home promised good care.
Nursing Home Abuse Lawyer Donald Browne
Donald Browne agrees with the AAJ report that laws passed to protect nursing home residents and government investigators hired to protect nursing home residents are not enough to prevent nursing homes from carelessly injuring our loved ones for their own financial gain. In many cases, our client’s injuries seem to be treated as a “cost of doing business.”
Donnie Browne sees the following types of injuries to nursing home residents, despite the promises of nursing homes to take care of those people whose families can no longer safely care for:
1. Burns and Scalding 
2. Dehydration and Malnutrition
3. Avoidable Bedsores and Pressure Ulcers
4. Fluid Overload
5. Aspiration Pneumonia
6. Septic Shock
7. Broken Hips, Pelvises & Bones from Avoidable Falls
8. Physical Abuse from Staff and Other Residents
9. Mental Abuse from Staff
10. Verbal Abuse from Staff
11. Sexual Abuse from Staff and Other Residents
12. Inappropriate Medications and Medication Errors
13. Inappropriate Sedation
14. Physical Restraints
15. Choking and Strangulation
16. Gangrene & Sepsis
17. Poor Hygiene
18. Contracture
19. Wandering and Elopement
20. Wrongful Death
Nursing Home Abuse Lawyers in New Jersey and Philadelphia
These injuries are not what families pay for or expect when they trust a nursing home or long term care facility with the lives of their loved ones. If your loved one was neglected or abused at a nursing home or long term care facility, contact the Mininno Law Office for a free case evaluation. Donald Browne is experienced in the toughest of nursing home cases and will work hard to earn you full and fair compensation. You may also call for a free consultation at (856) 833-0600 in New Jersey, or (215) 567-2380 in Philadelphia.
Many patients that have had the
Nursing homes frequently allow their residents (our loved ones) to acquire decubitus ulcers, which are more commonly referred to as pressure sores or bedsores. These horrible pressure ulcers are often a result of nursing home neglect regarding the care they provide and preventative methods they employ. High risk bedsore patients (patients who are bedridden) are to be rotated every two hours. Failing to do so is failing to appreciate the risk of skin breakdown for the resident, allowing for the actual development of the bedsores. Even worse, negligent nursing homes that allow for the development of these bedsores commonly fail to properly treat them. It is in these instances that pressure ulcers can become deadly.
The hip is a joint between the top of the leg bone (“femur“) and the pelvis bone (“acetabulum“). Hip pain is caused when there is damage to this joint. The main function of the hip joint is to support the weight of a body while standing, walking, or running. Damage can occur for a variety of reasons and cause pain, but, there is no “cure” for hip pain.
According to a recent study, almost 80% of all serious medical malpractice events stem from poor communication during “patient hand-offs”. These errors are usually caused by the inadequate transfer of crucial patient information from one medical provider to another. Without the correct information about a patient’s current and past medical treatment, a doctor can make terrible mistakes that could lead to misdiagnosis, serious injury, or wrongful death.
Michelle L. Koenig went to the Emergency Room at Provena St. Mary’s Hospital with complaints of a skin condition that she did not recognize or know the cause of. The ER doctor, Timothy Moran, diagnosed her skin illness as simply a rash and sent Michelle home. Two days later, Michelle was dead.