What to Bring to Your Consultation with a Nursing Home Abuse Lawyer

Your initial consultation with a nursing home abuse lawyer will serve several purposes. First, it will give you an opportunity to learn about the relevant proceedings, statutes, and case law. It will also be a chance for your attorney to find out if you have grounds for a claim, whether your case has any weaknesses, and how best to approach the investigation.

There are certain kinds of evidence and documents you should bring to this meeting if you already have them in your possession; however, you should not put off the consultation just so you can gather evidence. The more time that passes before your attorney’s investigation, the higher the chance that key evidence will become unavailable.

Let’s examine a few items you can bring to ensure your legal consultation is as productive as possible:

1. A Written Overview of What Happened

When did you first suspect the abuse or neglect? What signs of mistreatment did you notice? What have you done since discovering the abuse or neglect? What sort of correspondence have you had with the nursing home since? These are just a few of the questions you should consider when writing an overview of what happened. Recording these details will help you recall the most pertinent facts during your consultation with a nursing home neglect lawyer.

2. Your Family Member’s Medical Records

Your attorney will want to review your loved one’s medical records to learn about the injuries or illnesses sustained as a result of the abuse or neglect. These records may also be essential evidence for proving causation—i.e. that the damages being claimed were caused by the abuse or neglect and not by a preexisting condition.

3. Relevant Contact Information

There are several parties your lawyer might want to interview during the investigation. If you have the contact details of caregivers at the nursing home, other family members who witnessed the signs of abuse or neglect, or your loved one’s medical providers, bring that information with you to the consultation.

4. Photos and Videos

Did you take any pictures or videos of injuries, your family member’s room, or the nursing home facility? Your lawyer will want to review them to find out if they might contribute to your family’s nursing home abuse claim.

5. Documentation from the Nursing Home

Bring along any documents you’ve received from the nursing home. These may include the contract you signed with the facility as well as any documentation and correspondence you’ve received since.

Your Attorney Could Gather Other Evidence on Your Behalf

While the evidence listed above often plays an important role in nursing home abuse and neglect cases, there are other kinds of evidence that may be more difficult to access. For example, it is unlikely that the nursing home will voluntarily relinquish surveillance footage, caregiver keycard data, staff schedules, and their operating procedures. Fortunately, such evidence may be obtained by filing a subpoena. Our attorneys could use all the resources at their disposal to compile the evidence needed to give your case the best possible chance of success.

Schedule a Free Consultation with a Nursing Home Neglect Lawyer in Florida

If you need legal guidance after discovering that a loved one was abused or neglected in a nursing home, contact Emerson Straw. Call (727) 821-1500 to set up a free consultation or send us a message on our Contact Page.