Why Families Choose Me As Their Nursing Home Abuse Lawyer

For more than two decades, I have focused on elder abuse litigation and nothing else. That exclusive focus means I understand how nursing homes and care facilities operate, where corners are cut, and how to prove patterns of caregiver neglect in court.

Since 2016, I have been listed in Best Lawyers of America, reflecting my work on behalf of abused and neglected elders. I am prepared to take cases to trial whenever necessary and I have secured millions of dollars for clients, including multi-million-dollar recoveries in complex cases.

• $5,000,000 recovery for improper hospice admission and repeated re-certifications.
• $1,999,999 recovery after an elderly patient was not properly supervised in a dining room and choked on food.
• $1,750,000 recovery after a skilled nursing facility provided improper food and left a resident unsupervised, leading to a choking death.

My commitment to this work is personal. A close family member’s medical malpractice experience showed me how vulnerable patients can be when facilities put profits over safety. That experience is why I have dedicated my entire legal career to helping families seek justice for their losses.

Types Of Nursing Home Abuse And Neglect I Handle

I represent families in a wide range of nursing home negligence and abuse cases arising in nursing homes, RCFEs, assisted living facilities, and other long-term care settings. If you are unsure whether what happened qualifies as abuse, the examples below can help you understand the types of cases I pursue.

Physical Abuse

Physical abuse includes intentional harmful contact such as hitting, pushing, slapping, or rough handling of residents. It can also involve improper use of physical restraints, excessive force during transfers, or intentionally causing pain under the guise of care.

Neglect And Caregiver Failures

Neglect occurs when a facility or caregiver fails to meet a resident’s basic needs for food, water, shelter, clothing, hygiene, and necessary medical care. Common examples include untreated infections, unmonitored falls, medication errors, or failure to prevent or treat bedsores.

Emotional And Psychological Abuse

Emotional and psychological abuse can be harder to see. It may involve isolation from other residents or family, intimidation, taunting, humiliation, or conduct designed to create fear or submission. Residents may become withdrawn, anxious, or fearful around particular staff members.

Sexual Abuse

Sexual abuse in care facilities can involve any non-consensual sexual contact or exploitation. A new diagnosis of a sexually transmitted infection in a nursing home resident is a serious red flag that must be investigated immediately.

Financial Abuse

Financial abuse involves misuse of a resident’s money, property, or sensitive financial information by facility staff or others with access. Warning signs include unexplained withdrawals, missing personal items, sudden changes to beneficiary designations, or pressure to sign financial documents.

Wrongful Death In Care Facilities

When abuse or neglect causes a resident’s death, surviving family members may pursue a wrongful death claim and, in many cases, an elder abuse claim on behalf of the estate. I handle cases involving choking deaths, untreated infections, fatal falls, and other preventable tragedies in long-term care settings.

Compensation Available In Nursing Home Abuse Cases

Every case is different, but I pursue all categories of damages that the law allows in nursing home abuse and neglect claims. Compensation can help pay for needed care, recognize the suffering your loved one endured, and hold facilities accountable for violating nursing home resident rights.

Depending on the facts of the case, recoverable damages can include:

• Medical expenses related to the abuse, neglect, or resulting injuries.
• Pain and suffering damages for the physical and emotional harm your loved one experienced.
• Loss of enjoyment of life damages when abuse or neglect reduces a resident’s ability to engage in activities they previously enjoyed.
• Relocation expenses when a resident must be moved to a safer facility or different level of care.
• Punitive damages against those responsible in cases involving oppressive, fraudulent, or malicious conduct, to punish wrongdoers and deter future abuse.

California elder abuse law provides enhanced remedies in some cases involving physical abuse or neglect committed with recklessness, oppression, fraud, or malice. These enhanced remedies can include recovery of attorney fees and costs, which can make bringing a civil claim more accessible for families.

Signs Of Nursing Home Abuse Or Neglect

Many residents cannot explain what is happening to them, or they may be afraid of retaliation if they speak up. This means behavioral changes and physical symptoms are often the only indicators families see when something is wrong.

When you visit your loved one, watch for warning signs such as:

• Unexplained injuries such as bruises, cuts, burns, or welts.
• Bedsores or pressure ulcers that develop or worsen, suggesting failures in repositioning and basic care.
• Sudden emotional withdrawal, fearfulness around staff, or extreme changes in mood.
• Signs of malnutrition or dehydration, including unexplained weight loss, extreme thirst, or mental confusion.
• Poor personal hygiene, soiled clothing, or missing essential items such as glasses, hearing aids, or medications.
• Unexplained financial changes, such as new joint accounts, altered wills, or missing funds.
• New sexually transmitted infections in a resident who is not sexually active by choice.

If you see any combination of these signs, trust your instincts. You do not have to be certain abuse is happening before you reach out. I can review what you are seeing, help you understand whether it may violate the California elder abuse statute, and guide you through next steps.

California Law Protecting Nursing Home Residents

Families often feel powerless when dealing with large corporate care facilities. It is important to know that both federal and California law give strong protections to nursing home residents.

The federal Nursing Home Reform Act of 1987 sets minimum standards of care and resident rights in facilities that receive Medicare or Medicaid funding. In California, the Elder Abuse and Dependent Adult Civil Protection Act provides civil remedies for elder abuse and neglect, including enhanced damages in cases of reckless or malicious conduct.

California nursing homes are licensed and regulated by the California Department of Public Health, which conducts inspections and can issue citations for violations. Residents of long-term care facilities in California have a state-protected bill of rights that covers dignity, privacy, freedom from abuse, access to medical care, and the right to complain without fear of retaliation. In certain cases, California law also allows recovery of attorney fees and costs when enhanced elder abuse remedies are granted.

When I bring a claim, I use these legal protections to hold facilities accountable and to show exactly how they failed to meet their obligations to your loved one.