Santa Monica Nursing Home Abuse Attorneys

Fighting for the Fair Treatment of Elders in Nursing Homes

If you believe your elderly loved one has suffered abuse or neglect in a Santa Monica nursing home or assisted living facility, come to McGee Lerer Ogrin today for legal help. We understand how painful it is to learn that someone you love has been mistreated, harmed, or neglected, so we offer legal counsel that balances professionalism, experience, and compassion. Let us help you hold the nursing home accountable, which could even protect others from being harmed in the future.

Talk to a Santa Monica nursing home abuse lawyer now. Call (310) 692-9582 and request a free case review.

Why Families in Santa Monica Choose Our Firm

Nursing home abuse and neglect cases are not just another category of personal injury litigation. They require legal skill, persistence, and compassion to fight for those who often can’t fight for themselves.

At McGee Lerer Ogrin:

• We have extensive experience handling elder abuse cases throughout Southern California.
• We treat every case with the urgency and seriousness it deserves.
• We handle all cases on a contingency fee basis, which means you pay us nothing unless we recover compensation.
• We are familiar with the Santa Monica area and the nursing facilities that operate here.
• We are well-versed in the legal provisions that define “reckless elder neglect” under California’s Elder Abuse and Dependent Adult Civil Protection Act (Welfare & Institutions Code §15600 et al).

When families come to us, they’re often overwhelmed and unsure where to turn. Our mission is to answer all questions, remove the guesswork, and seek justice for your loved one, so you can focus on taking care of your family.

Nursing Home Abuse is More Than Just “Poor Care”

Nursing home abuse often refers to intentional or reckless behavior that causes physical, emotional, or financial harm to an elderly resident. It can come from staff members, administrators, visitors, or even other residents. It can be a violation of both human rights and California law. Such acts may justify civil lawsuits and criminal prosecution against the offending party or parties, too.

Types of Nursing Home Abuse

Harm through nursing home abuse can take many forms, such as:

• Bedsores or pressure ulcers: These painful and often preventable injuries result from failure to regularly reposition residents with limited mobility.
• Bone fractures: Broken hips, arms, or legs can result from drops, rough handling, or falls due to poor supervision.
• Sexual abuse: Any non-consensual sexual contact, often committed against residents who are physically or cognitively unable to resist or report it.
• Fraud: Staff may forge checks, manipulate bank accounts, or steal valuables from elderly residents.
• Falls: Unassisted movement, slippery floors, and a lack of bed or chair restraints can lead to dangerous falls.
• Medication errors: Giving the wrong drug, incorrect doses, or failing to administer necessary medications can cause medical emergencies or long-term harm.
• Malnutrition: Signs may include extreme weight loss, weakness, or cognitive decline due to inadequate or inappropriate meals.
• Dehydration: A common form of neglect that may go unnoticed until it becomes a medical crisis.
• Wrongful death: In the most tragic cases, abuse or neglect leads to the untimely death of a resident. Families may have the right to pursue a wrongful death claim.

Nursing Home Neglect

Neglect occurs when a facility fails to provide for a resident’s basic needs, not necessarily with malicious intent, but with devastating results all the same. Depending on the type of neglect and the extent of the harm it caused or likely could have caused, it might constitute “reckless elder neglect” under California law.

Forms of nursing home neglect can include:

• Failure to assist in personal hygiene and care: A nursing home may fail to provide an elder with proper personal hygiene care, or fail to provide food, clothing, or safe shelter.
• Failure to provide medical care for physical and mental health needs: Skilled nursing facilities are expected to provide the medical care required of each elderly resident.
• Failure to protect from health and safety hazards: Neglect in a nursing home may lead to the failure to safeguard the health of elders from preventable safety hazards.
• Failure to prevent malnutrition and dehydration: If an elder in a nursing home is not provided proper food and water, or the staff does not ensure that they are eating and drinking enough to stay healthy, it could cause a dangerous case of malnutrition or dehydration.

Unlike abuse, which is often intentional, neglect can stem from understaffing, poor training, or administrative indifference. But regardless of the cause, the outcome is the same: a vulnerable person suffers. Importantly, both abuse and neglect are grounds for legal action in California. Families don’t need to prove intent, only that the care provided fell below legal standards.

It’s also important to note that neglect is not the same as negligence. Whereas negligence might indicate a “simple mistake,” neglect can be seen as the result of unsafe and unacceptable conduct or nursing home practices, often to the extent that it refers to a higher form of culpability or liability. As your trusted Santa Monica nursing home neglect attorneys, we can investigate the situation to determine if the nursing home’s mistakes can be argued as neglect that demands answers through legal action.

Filing Claims & Lawsuits for Santa Monica Families

Once abuse or neglect is discovered, the next step is often unclear. That’s where our Santa Monica nursing home abuse attorneys can step in and take over. We handle every aspect of the legal process so you can focus on your loved one’s recovery and well-being. Whether the harm was physical, emotional, or financial, we are prepared to demand accountability and compensation from the defendant on your behalf.

At McGee Lerer Ogrin, we can:

• Conduct a thorough investigation of your loved one’s injuries or condition
• Obtain medical records and facility logs
• Work with medical and elder care experts to identify failures in care
• Identify liable parties, which may include individual staff, administrators, or corporate owners
• Demand full and fair compensation through settlement negotiation or trial

Explore Your Legal Options With Us Today

If your loved one was harmed in a Santa Monica nursing home or long-term care center, talk with our nursing home abuse attorneys today. We are ready to stand with you and fight to protect the rights of not just your loved ones but possibly also other elderly residents in the same nursing home. Let us review your case, answer your questions, and help you understand your next steps.

Contact us today for a free consultation. Call (310) 692-9582 to begin.