The Average Nursing Home Neglect Settlement: What You Need to Know

When it comes to nursing home neglect, it’s unfortunate but true that many families are left searching for answers and seeking justice for their loved ones. This can be a stressful, confusing process — particularly when trying to understand the average nursing home neglect settlement. In this article, we’ll break down everything you need to know about this important topic.

Understanding Nursing Home Neglect

Firstly, it’s important to have a clear understanding of what nursing home neglect is. Essentially, it refers to any situation where a resident of a nursing home or long-term care facility is not given adequate care or attention by staff members. This might mean failure to provide basic needs like food, water, shelter, or medical treatment; it could also involve emotional or verbal abuse.

Because neglect can be difficult to spot and prove, it’s important for families and caregivers alike to be vigilant and watchful for signs of mistreatment. Some common indicators may include:

• Unexplained weight loss
• Dehydration
• Poor hygiene
• Bedsores
• Falls and injuries
• Depression or anxiety

If you suspect your loved one may be experiencing neglect at their nursing home facility, don’t hesitate: contact an experienced attorney immediately.

How Settlements Work

So, when someone does pursue legal action in response to nursing home neglect, what does that look like? Most commonly, lawsuits against long-term care facilities will result in settlements — rather than going all the way through a trial process.

Settlements work like this: the plaintiff (in this case, the family member suing on behalf of their loved one) agrees to drop the lawsuit in exchange for some level of compensation from the defendant (the nursing home facility). Typically this compensation takes the form of a financial payment.

There are many factors that go into determining the amount of compensation awarded as part of a settlement. These include the severity and extent of the harm experienced by the resident, as well as any financial or emotional damages that may have been incurred as a result of the neglect. Factors such as whether or not there were prior similar incidents in the nursing home, whether or not staff members were aware of any issues, and more will all be taken into consideration when determining a settlement amount.

The Average Nursing Home Neglect Settlement

So — what’s the average compensation amount awarded in cases of nursing home neglect?

Unfortunately, this is a difficult question to answer definitively. Every case is unique, and settlements vary widely depending on factors like those mentioned above. However, some data does exist that can help us make an educated guess.

According to one study from 2017, the median (or middle) settlement amount for nursing home abuse or neglect cases was around $91k. This means that half of all settlements awarded were higher than this number, while half were lower.

However, it’s important to note that averages can be misleading — particularly when it comes to legal settlements. This is because settlements are heavily influenced by outliers: extremely high (or low) settlement amounts can skew overall averages significantly. For example, if one case results in a $1 million payout while ten others only receive $10k each, the average settlement would be $100k — but this wouldn’t necessarily reflect what most plaintiffs are actually awarded.

For these reasons, it’s often more useful to look at median settlement amounts (as noted above) over pure averages. Additionally, keep in mind that every case will be unique; your loved one’s specific circumstances may result in a different settlement amount than what we’ve discussed here.

Other Factors To Consider

Finally, there are a few other factors worth keeping in mind when thinking about nursing home neglect settlements:

• Timeframe: lawsuits and settlements can take months or even years to resolve.
• Attorneys fees: if you choose to hire an attorney to represent your loved one in a case, their fees will typically be paid as a percentage of the final settlement amount.
• Emotional impact: while no amount of money can undo the harm caused by nursing home neglect, financial compensation can provide both practical support and a sense of closure for many families.
• Future care needs: it’s important to consider whether or not the settlement amount will cover ongoing medical needs for your loved one — particularly if they require additional care as a result of the neglect.

Conclusion

While there is no easy answer to the question of average nursing home neglect settlements, arming yourself with information is an essential step towards getting justice for your loved ones. If you suspect that someone you know may be experiencing mistreatment at a long-term care facility, don’t hesitate: reach out to an experienced attorney today. They’ll be able to offer guidance on how best to proceed and work with you towards finding a resolution that provides both accountability and closure.