If you or a loved elder has been mistreated, injured, neglected or abused in a skilled nursing or a residential care facility you are not alone. In fact, negligence and abuse in nursing and residential care facilities has become a national tragedy. In a recent Government study, less than 10% of nursing homes in the San Francisco Area were found to be in substantial compliance with federal standards.

The others had an average of 13.2 violations of federal quality of care requirements. The situation in San Francisco is not unusual. Nursing homes are cited with violations of state and federal law on a daily basis, and your loved ones may be the victims of this widespread neglect and abuse. Current conditions indicate that the neglect and abuse will not only continue, but will most likely increase.

The most common types of neglect and abuse are malnutrition, dehydration, pressure sores, infections, falls, burns, and assaults. Understaffing, poor training or dissatisfaction by the nursing homes employees often cause these injuries.

If you or your loved ones are victims of neglect or abuse in a nursing or residential facility, there are probably other residents in the facility who are also being neglected or abused; in fact there is probably a continuing pattern of neglect at the facility. This pattern can be shown by the facility's history of violations of both federal and state law.

New Jersey's law is a strong one, and affords protection for elders from abuse and neglect. Either the aggrieved elder or their families can bring an action, and both compensatory and punitive damages are appropriate, as well as attorney's fees.

The firm is well versed in bringing these actions and in the use of nursing, medical and other experts to perfect the claims. If you feel that you or your loved one has been injured as a result of mistreatment, neglect or abuse in a skilled nursing facility, residential care facility or sub-acute facility attached to a hospital, please call or e-mail us.