A nursing home resident and their family should feel confident that the needs of their loved one is being met and that they will be safe from harm. Unfortunately, the most vulnerable in our population may be afraid to speak up or cannot always speak up about abuse. Abuse is prevalent in nursing homes and it can take many forms, including physical and mental abuse. More than 1.4 million people suffer nursing home abuse. Your loved one deserves quality care and to live with dignity. At Tahmazian Law Firm, P.C., we try to protect their rights and seek the compensation that your family is entitled to if they have suffered from abuse in their nursing home.

Vigilant Family Members Needed

Under California law, elder abuse is the physical or emotional abuse, neglect, or financial exploitation of a person who is 65 years or older. Nursing home abuse may not be easy to spot but family members should be vigilant, asking questions and visiting their loved ones regularly if possible. Demonstrating that abuse is happening behind the closed doors of a nursing home when you are not present can be challenging. If you see anything concerning, the best thing you can do is to take photos and document everything, especially if it shows the progression of an injury or abuse over some time.

Signs of Abuse at a Nursing Home

Physical injuries are perhaps the most obvious signs of abuse. Whether you notice minor scrapes or broken bones, nursing home staff owe you an explanation. Always ask questions, demand an explanation, and seek out others at the facility who can corroborate the chain of events. The following are also forms of nursing home abuse:

Every year, crowds flock to retail stores on Black Friday to get themselves some sweet deals. Holiday spending this year is projected to be higher than last year. But if memory serves us right, the day after Thanksgiving has also become infamous for violence including flights and gunfire. To help you stay safe in LA County this year, we want to offer some insight into premises liability.

Premises Liability

California shoppers are guests when they are on the premises of a store. Under the law, property owners have a duty of care to make sure shoppers are safe. That includes warning customers about possible hazards.

Given the violence and stampedes in recent years, stores often take some precautions on Black Friday to avoid premises liability lawsuits including:

After-hours office parties at a restaurant or holiday get-togethers at someone’s house are supposed to make for a memorable evening. Unfortunately along with the celebration, there is always the potential for serious injury. More than 8 million people in the United States wind up in the emergency room every year after suffering a fall. Slip and falls alone make up 12 percent of the total number of falls and account for 1 million ER visits. If you take a tumble and are seriously injured you may want to file a lawsuit. 

Hazards Inside and Outdoors

Property owners have a duty of care to make sure they protect people’s safety. Any hazards should be repaired or addressed. This applies to private property owners as well as public establishments. People often fall for the following reasons:

• Wet floors – slippery flooring due to spilled liquids, recent mopping, and lack of floor mats

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The beautiful weather in Los Angeles entices many people to get out and go for a walk. But urban areas are normally bustling with traffic congestion and pedestrians rushing to cross the street or catch the bus. A pedestrian accident with a motor vehicle, especially if you are jaywalking, can have you wondering if you are entirely to blame. 

Jaywalking

Jaywalking is not legal anywhere in California. If you cross the street under the following circumstances it would be considered jaywalking:

As people go about their daily lives, they frequently presume that the products they use will work as expected and create little or no danger. Little or no thought is given to the possibility that a product on the market is unreasonably unsafe for the average consumer. Yet, defective products injure people every day. Often, the defective product in question is not one that is commonly thought of as dangerous. Rather, dangerously defective products are often entirely innocuous products that show no obvious sign of a defect. Thus, defective product injuries frequently happen when they are least expected. When a product has been designed, built, or labeled in such a way as to render it unreasonably unsafe, a person who was injured by the product may be able to win compensation from the party responsible for the defect. An attorney can guide you through this process. 

Appliances, Car Parts, and Other Potentially Defective Products

Few defects are visible or readily discoverable until the defect has caused harm to a person. Commonly defective products it may be wise to monitor closely include: 

• Tires - Often, a tire will appear to be in fine condition, only to burst or split without warning, sending the vehicle and its occupants into an uncontrollable spin or slide. 

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