Compensation in Elder Abuse Cases

For many, compensation is the main goal of a personal injury lawsuit. If your family is involved in a personal injury lawsuit because a loved one was the victim of nursing home neglect and abuse, you can learn more about compensation here.

Understanding Compensation

The first question that you probably have about compensation is – what is it? Compensation is money given to the victim of a personal injury situation by the person who caused the abuse, accident, or neglect. Compensation is meant to pay for the medical costs associated with the injury. For example, a person may put compensation towards:

• Hospital or other medical bills.
• Surgery.
• Medication.
• Medical devices.
• Any other medical expense that resulted from the accident.

You can learn more about compensation on this page.

There are two main types of compensation that your family might seek – compensation for economic damages, and compensation for non-economic damages. Economic damages refer to the examples above. Anything that has a tangible cost is considered an economic damage. For example, if you spent $500 on hospital bills for an injured loved one, you should get $500 in compensation to make up for it. Non-economic damages refer to the pain and grief that your loved one and family have experienced as a result of their injury. This money is meant to compensate for emotional harm. Obviously this is a more difficult amount of money to determine. You can learn about types of compensation and damages here.

Seeking Compensation

If you are seeking compensation, make sure that you are not taken advantage of by the other party. The other party may offer a small settlement in the hopes that your family will take it and they won’t have to pay you too much. It is always best to consult with an attorney before you accept or reject a settlement option. An attorney will have your best interest in mind and will help you determine if the compensation offer is fair or not. Make sure that you have an attorney present during negotiations with the other party. For additional help and information, contact our office.