Losing a family member can leave you with grief and a lot of unanswered questions. If it happened in a nursing home, you may have been told a sudden decline was unavoidable. But you may also suspect that something else played a part in what occurred.
Unfortunately, many families do not get a full picture of what happened to their loved one right away. Medical records can be hard to read, and homes may take steps to hide the facts. Our Cleveland nursing home wrongful death lawyers can help you get the answers you deserve.
Shore Law has recovered more than $250 million on behalf of injured victims and their families. Our team uses both litigation experience and technical knowledge of nursing home records systems to uncover evidence. Call for a free consultation and learn how our nursing home abuse lawyers in Cleveland can help.
What Is a Wrongful Death in a Nursing Home?
A wrongful death claim can arise when a nursing home resident dies because of negligent care or abuse. In Ohio, the case usually focuses on what the facility did, what staff failed to do, and how those failures contributed to the death. The underlying problem can take many forms.
- A resident may develop untreated infections.
- A fall may happen after poor supervision.
- A decline in vital signs may go unnoticed.
Some deaths are linked to a single event. Others follow a pattern of neglect over days or weeks. Medical records often reveal patterns of neglect when carefully reviewed. Our personal injury lawyers in Cleveland will investigate the incident and find out what really happened.
Evidence in a Wrongful Death Case
In many wrongful death cases, the chart is one of the most important sources of evidence. It should reflect patient care as well as incident reports, and communication with physicians or family members. But the physical chart is not always the whole story.
Many nursing homes use Electronic Health Records to track resident care. These records can show who accessed the chart and if records were changed after the fact. Our Cleveland nursing home wrongful death attorneys understand how to analyze metadata and what to look for.
Reviewing the resident’s records may uncover negligence by individual staff members or broader failures within the facility. In some cases, the incident that led to the death of your loved one may rise to the level of abuse, and the perpetrators may face criminal charges.
What to Do If You Suspect a Wrongful Death
Many family members are hesitant to report suspected issues, but if you believe the home is engaged in wrongdoing, you can talk to our legal team in confidence. The consultation is free, and we will evaluate your case and advise you on whether your concerns are worth pursuing.
In addition to reaching out to our nursing home wrongful death lawyers in Cleveland, consider several more important steps.
Preserve Evidence
If you suspect wrongful death in a nursing home, try to preserve as much evidence as you can.
Keep things like:
- Discharge papers
- Billing records
- Emails
- Notes from calls with the facility
If you took photos or wrote down concerns before your family member died, those details may still be useful in your case.
Request Records Immediately
Don’t give the nursing home time to hide or remove important documents from your loved one’s file. An early review of available records by our attorneys can help identify what should be preserved.
Write a Narrative
Create a timeline of events while they are still fresh in your memory. This may help your legal team understand how the incident that led to your loved one’s death occurred and help them track down additional evidence.
Contact the Department of Health
If you believe neglect or abuse caused your loved one’s death, you can file a complaint with the Ohio Department of Health. The Department of Health oversees and licenses nursing facilities in the state.
They will investigate your concerns and take action against the facility if necessary. Their findings can serve as important evidence in your civil claim against the home. And, your report can help protect other residents from abuse and neglect.
Talk With Our Cleveland Nursing Home Wrongful Death Attorneys
A nursing home wrongful death case can be difficult to evaluate. Families are often left with explanations that do not fully account for what happened. If records were changed or important details were left out, the case can become even harder to assess.
That is why working with a lawyer who understands the evidence is so important. Our Cleveland nursing home wrongful death attorneys will review physical and software-based records for signs of misconduct. We will fight for the justice your family deserves.
When you work with our team at Shore Law, you’ll have direct access to an attorney who understands both injury litigation and the digital medical records that often shape nursing home cases. Call today to schedule your free consultation and tell us what happened.
