Documentation forms a big part of any personal injury claim or case. For example, here are some of the documents you will need when pursuing a nursing home abuse claim:
Pictures of the Injury
Pictures, especially those that haven't been edited or altered in any way, can go a long way in proving that the injuries actually occurred as being claimed. The pictures need not have been taken with the express purpose of proving the abuse; even casual pictures taken for social media sharing can work if they show the injuries.
Pictures of Medications
If you have a loved one in a nursing home, advise them to be taking pictures of their medication. This is especially necessary with over-the-counter drugs that may not have the paper trail that prescription drugs typically have. For example, a doctor (acting as an expert witness) can testify as to whether the drugs could have been used to treat the injuries the resident is claiming.
Diaries of the Resident or Their Loved Ones
If your loved one kept a diary, then it can be a gem as far as proving the claim is concerned. It's even better if others, such as relatives or acquaintances, also kept diaries (or notes), and the information they contain matches that of the resident.
The Nursing Home's Records
If the nursing home's management wasn't complicit in the abuse, then their records may also help in proving your claims of abuse. The records don't need to have captured the abuse explicitly to be helpful; it will still be of use if it can show injury reports, the resident's claims or even complaints from other nurses.
The Resident's Medical Records
Medical records are always useful in proving all injury claims, and not just nursing home abuse claims. If the abuse affected your loved one's health and they got treated for it, there is a good chance the medical records will be of use.
The Resident's Financial Records
Note that there are various forms of nursing home abuse even though physical and sexual abuses are the ones that grab headlines. For example, there is financial abuse, where nursing home workers con those under their care of their hard-earned money. If this is the type of abuse your loved one experienced, then financial records from different financial services provides may help prove the claims.
If you suspect a loved one in a nursing home is being abused, take the necessary steps to protect them first before doing anything. After that, consult a nursing home abuse lawyer to help you explore your legal options.
