By Dan Noll on September 11th, 2023 in Nursing Home Abuse
Suffered Nursing Home Injuries in Illinois? Experienced Nursing Home Negligence Lawyers in Springfield Explain What are Damages in a Nursing Home Case and How They Can Help You.
Nursing homes and long-term care facilities play a critical role in the United States. According to statistics from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), there are almost 16,000 facilities and roughly 1.7 million licensed beds. Right here in Illinois, there are approximately 1,200 nursing homes or long-term care facilities that house more than 100,000 residents. Although most of these facilities are safe, many are not. There are many ways in which a resident could sustain personal injuries in a nursing home in Illinois, with the most common being due to falls. Whenever a resident of a nursing home or long-term care facility suffers any type of personal injury due to abuse, neglect or negligence, he or she may be entitled to something called “damages.” However, what type of damages and whether a victim may be entitled to compensation depends on a variety of factors, which are usually heavily contested by a defendant. This is why victims and their families should speak with experienced nursing home negligence lawyers in Springfield to learn more about their rights under Illinois law.
Here at the Noll Law Office, the experienced nursing home negligence lawyers and their skilled legal team have been protecting the rights of victims and their families throughout Illinois for five generations. They offer FREE consultations and case evaluations, and allow residents and their families to ask questions to get the answers that they need and deserve. This includes questions about damages and compensation, which is a common inquiry that victims and their families may have after nursing home abuse, neglect, and negligence harms them. To learn more about your rights to compensation under Illinois law, contact them today to schedule a FREE consultation at (217) 414-8889.
What are Damages Under Illinois Law?
“Damages” is a legal term that relates to the type of relief that a party to a lawsuit can obtain. There are many different types of damages, and the type of damages that are available to a party depend on many factors – including even just the type of case (such as a contract case versus a negligence case). Even in a personal injury case, there are many different types of damages that a party may be entitled to. However, damages in a personal injury case are typically awarded in the form of monetary compensation.
Types of Damages in a Nursing Home Case in Springfield
There are many different types of damages that may be awarded in a nursing home abuse, neglect, or negligence case under the Illinois Nursing Home Care Act. The different types of damages that a victim and his or her family may be entitled to include the following:
- Past Pain and Suffering – an award of compensation measured from the date of the injury until the date of payment (either settlement, verdict, award, or another type of payment)
- Future Pain and Suffering – an amount of compensation based on the number of years that a victim is expected to live at the time of payment, as measured by an actuary table
- Medical Bills – this includes all medical bills as a result of the nursing home neglect, abuse, or negligence, including medical bills that are reasonably proven to occur in the future
- Increases in the Level of Care – where a victim needs an increased level of care or assistance, a defendant may be liable to pay for this additional care and treatment
- Mobility Devices – if a victim needs mobility assistance, an at-fault defendant may be responsible for paying for items like crutches, a wheelchair, a motorized wheelchair, or other devices
- Medical Equipment – a victim who suffers serious personal injuries and requires new medical equipment may be entitled to compensation for those expenses
- Loss of Consortium, Society, Guidance, Support – like other states, Illinois recognizes that there is a normal familial relationship between victims and their families which is affected by a defendant’s negligence, and is therefore compensable
- Lost Wages and Lost Earnings – although not typical in most nursing home cases because residents are often retired, in today’s internet world (such as for writers), residents who were still working and earning compensation at the time of their nursing home abuse, neglect, or negligence may be entitled to lost wages and lost future income, and
- Other Damages Caused by Nursing Home Abuse, Neglect, or Negligence in Springfield or Illinois, which the experienced nursing home negligence lawyers in Springfield may be able to recover for you in a lawsuit.
Were You Injured in a Nursing Home? Learn What are Damages in a Nursing Home Case?
Residents who suffer personal injuries from nursing home abuse, neglect, or negligence in Illinois should contact one of the experienced nursing home negligence lawyers in Springfield at the Noll Law Office. They offer free consultations and case evaluations, and if you hire them and they accept your case, they pay the upfront costs and disbursements of litigation for you. These expenses and their attorney fees are only paid after they recover compensation for you too, meaning there is both no upfront cost and no financial risk to begin working with their bodily injury law firm.
To learn more about what are damages in a nursing home case and what you and your family may be entitled to, contact the Noll Law Office today at (217) 414-8889.