Over $50M Recovered in the Past Seven Years
At the Tenge Law Firm LLC, our goal is to achieve the best possible result for our clients as soon as possible. Each case and each client is different, so we work directly with clients to meet their needs for medical care and personal situations. We have enjoyed great success, with exceedingly high client satisfaction, using this approach.
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$3,250,000 Rollover auto accident involving defective roof and serious injuries
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$1,500,000 Tire blowout on I-70 causing serious injuries
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$1,475,000 Auto accident with head, neck and back injuries
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$1,350,000 Auto accident with orthopedic injuries to foot, ankle, and leg
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$1,250,000 Wrongful Death
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$1,250,000 Lower Leg Orthopedic Injury Resulting in Surgery
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$1,100,000 Construction site accident
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$1,050,000 Trucking accident with low back injuries
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$1,025,000 Motorcycle accident resulting in traumatic brain injury and orthopedic injuries
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$950,000 Car accident with brain injury and orthopedic injuries
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$750,000 Policy Limits – Low speed auto accident leading to minor stroke
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$533,000 Trial Verdict - Client hit by airborne patio umbrella with facial scar and concussion.
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$450,000 Pedestrian hit by car
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$300,000 Four-car accident resulting in vertebral fracture and facial injuries
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$200,000 Auto accident with facial injuries
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$120,000 Slip-and-fall at fast food restaurant
The Types of Nursing Home Abuse
When people hear the word “abuse”, they often assume it means physical abuse. While being physically abused is traumatic and life-threatening, there are many other types of abuse, especially when it comes to nursing homes, that can be just as dangerous. If you are worried that your elderly loved one is being mistreated, then the abuse may not be evident on their body, as not all abuse involves physical attacks. Forms of abuse you should be on the lookout for include:
Physical Abuse: As mentioned, this is the form of abuse most people think of. It involves the use of force that results in bodily injury or harm. This may mean that the abuser punched, burned, pushed, struck, beat, or improperly used restrains against the victim.
Financial Abuse: Financial abuse is incredibly common in nursing homes, as many residents suffer from dementia or similar disorders and are unable to protect their assets. Financial abuse can take the form of a forged check, stolen money, or coercion to receive financial gifts.
Emotional/psychological abuse: This kind of abuse can be hard to catch, as there are no physical marks or paper trails to indicate something is wrong. Emotional abuse happens when an abuser taunts, screams at, threatens, insults, willfully ignores, or talks down to a victim.
Negligence: Many elderly people need some sort of assistance to live comfortably. That is often why they move to nursing homes to begin with. Negligent staff may not bother washing, feeding, watching, medicating, or providing clean clothing to residents. Even poorly cleaning up a facility and exposing residents to fall hazards can be a form of negligence.
Sexual abuse: This form of abuse is one that we would often rather not think about, especially in relation to our elderly loved ones. But the sad fact is, sexual abuse is not uncommon in nursing homes. You should watch out for drastic and negative changes in mood, blood on their undergarments, and bruising around their thighs.
Medication abuse: Many older folks need medication in order to stay healthy. However, nursing home staff may neglect to give a resident the medication they need, give them the wrong medication, or over-medicate in order to sedate the resident.
Hundreds of 5-star Reviews. Exceptional Results
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"Definitely made it a stress-free experience"
Brenda was my attorney. She was amazing, helped me through the whole process. Definitely made it a stress-free experience, especially after going through something so traumatic! Was extremely attentive and always kept me updated on how my case was going! I would 1000% recommend them to everyone and anyone!! THANK YOU SO MUCH!
- Zitlaly O. -
"Everyone is extremely nice & very efficient"
I highly recommend this law firm! They take care of everything in a timely manner & alleviate any harassment while you recover from injuries. Everyone is extremely nice & very efficient...if you need an attorney, Tenge Law is the place to go!
- Betty C. -
"Would highly recommend to anyone!!"
Tenge Law Firm helped me out when I was in a accident that involved my whole family. They were great and fast with the entire process, and were awesome at keeping me updated throughout the entire process. Would highly recommend to anyone!!
- Zack K. -
"They treated me like family"
Todd, Liz and Nina were amazing. They handled my case very professionally. I recommend this law firm to anyone looking for a great firm. They treated me like family
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"They were extremely responsive and answered my questions very well."
Paige and Nina were a delight to work with. They were extremely responsive and answered my questions very well. They made me feel like I was in good hands and could trust them!
- Rachel V.
Why Abuse Happens
Not all abuse is driven by pure malice. While it is never acceptable to abuse anyone, the problem may lie with the nursing home as a whole, rather than the individual staff member. Many nursing homes care more about their bottom line than they do about their residents. This means they will often understaff their departments, fail to properly screen new hires, or even ignore reports of abuse so that they don’t have to use resources on an investigation.
Overworked and undertrained staff members may resort to taking their stress and frustration out on residents. That could mean yelling at them when they fall or ignoring them completely in favor of getting other tasks done. But a good nursing home should have the necessary resources and staff to help care for all of their residents in a timely manner. In addition, staff members should always be held accountable for their actions, especially in cases of abuse, but if there is one abuser on the staff, it is important to ask how they got there and if there could be others.
Of course, some malicious people choose to work for nursing homes specifically because it provides them with victims who cannot fight back. In these cases, there are factors that may lead them to abuse specific residents. Residents with mental disorders, such as dementia, are at a particularly high risk, as they often cannot recall the abuse and so are unable to report it. Disabled residents, whether they be in a wheelchair or bedridden, are also at a higher risk. Their state of vulnerability makes it difficult for them to fight back against an abuser, making them easier targets.
That is not to say that the abuse is ever the fault of the resident. It is important to know these risk factors, however. If your loved one is at a higher risk of abuse, you should keep a closer eye on them and know what signs to watch out for, even if they are unable to tell you about the abuse they suffered.
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Reviews
When our clients are happy, they say so. Whether we’re being described for how well we communicate, our responsiveness, or the quality of our service, we’re consistently rated 5.0 out of 5.0 by those we represent.
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Ratings
As an industry leader in the field of personal injury, we're proud to maintain a superb 10.0 out of 10.0 rating on AVVO.com, have a preeminent AV rating from Martindale-Hubbell, and have recently been awarded Client Champion Platinum status from Lawyers.com.
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Results
In the last ten years, we've recovered $50 million on behalf of our clients. Our motto is simple - You do what you need to do physically recover, and we'll handle the rest.
What You Should Do If You Suspect Your Loved One Is Being Abused
Abuse can be obvious. You may find a bruise on your loved one’s arm or a medical exam may reveal they have suddenly contracted a sexually transmitted disease. But other forms of abuse can be hard to catch, and the staff abusing your loved one may know how to properly cover their tracks. If you suspect abuse, you should first speak with your elderly loved one. Ask them if something has happened and question whether they have suffered from a form of abuse. If you are unable to do this due to their physical or mental health, or due to not living close by to them, then you should take immediate action to get them to safety.
In cases where you believe their life is in immediate danger, contact the police. Afterward, you can get in contact with the Adult Protective Services in the county where your loved one is residing. For Fort Collins, this would be the Larimer County Adult Protective Services. The APS will then conduct their own investigation and get your loved one the help they need. You can file a report with the APS about your loved one and the kind of abuse you believe they suffered from, who you think the abuser may be, and the kind of situation your loved one is currently in.
After that, you should contact an experienced nursing home abuse attorney to look over your case, and help you determine what your options are. While the police can handle a criminal investigation, your loved one may be eligible for compensation from the nursing home if they are found liable for the abuse. This compensation could be invaluable in helping your loved one receive proper treatment for their injuries, whether physical or mental.
How to Evaluate a Nursing Home
Ultimately, the best way to protect your loved one from abuse is to take the proper amount of time to investigate a home before allowing your loved one to live there. Some key questions to ask about a nursing home include:
- Do the residents appear happy, healthy, and rested?
- Does the facility have proper kitchens and food available?
- Does the facility have an adequate number of staff members for their residents?
- Do staff members and the members of the administration seem to have a good, open relationship?
- Is the facility clean?
- Do staff members respond quickly to residents in need?
- How many residents are in physical restraints? Is there a legitimate reason why they are restrained?
- Are the residents engaged in fun activities that help keep them stimulated?
- How highly is the facility rated?
- Has the facility had issues with abuse before, and if so, how were the reports of abuse handled?
Finding a good nursing home can be difficult, and it may take some time, but it will be worth it in the end as your elderly loved one will be able to live the rest of their life safe, comfortable, and happy.
At the Tenge Law Firm LLC, we feel a profound responsibility to ensure our client’s physical and emotional well being during one of the worst times of their life. We've put together a page of resources to help you gain legal expertise and education about the law.
Get Help From a Fort Collins Nursing Home Abuse Attorney
No one wants to see their loved ones suffer, especially their loved ones who cannot properly fight for themselves. That is why our Fort Collins personal injury attorneys strongly believe that the elderly members of our society should be protected and that those who would hurt them should be held accountable for their actions.
If you believe you have a case of nursing home abuse, contact the Tenge Law Firm, LLC at (970) 510-8077 to schedule a free consultation to discuss if they are eligible for a claim.
