Personal Injury Services

Neglect, Abuse & Criminal Injury Claims

Elder Abuse Claims

Expertise And Understanding From Irwin Mitchell

The charity, Action on Elder Abuse, estimates that more than 300,000 people over the age of 65 are victims of abuse. 25% of the calls made to the charity relate to abuse in care homes or hospitals.

Abuse of the elderly does not just involve physical or sexual abuse. Elderly people can also be victims of financial abuse, such as the unauthorised accessing of money from accounts, or psychological abuse, such as bullying or neglect.

At Irwin Mitchell we fight fearlessly to achieve the best outcome for your claim. We’re renowned for our understanding of the issues affecting you and your family due to abuse of the elderly, and we know what positive action to take to make a difference to your elderly abuse claim.

Our lawyers offer the highest level of professionalism and expertise, combined with dedication and sensitivity.

Above all, we put you first.

Handling Elderly Abuse Claims With Expertise And Sensitivity

We have a specialist team of lawyers who can advise on issues of elder abuse. We have been handling various types of claims on behalf of elderly clients for a number of years, seeking to improve the quality of our clients’ lives. We have the expertise needed to advise in this field, and understand the anxiety caused to our clients and their families.

Cases handled in our team often focus upon neglect in hospitals and nursing homes. We act for a large number of elderly clients or their relatives who are unhappy about the treatment which has been provided. Concerns often relate to the development of pressure sores or bed sores, falls, malnutrition and dehydration. Often these problems could have been avoided with proper nursing care.

Elderly people are vulnerable and poor nursing care can have a significant effect upon their condition, speed and final outcome. Where somebody has suffered an injury as a result of poor care, we can advise on whether it is possible for them to bring a damages claim to compensate them for what has happened.

Your solicitor can help with formal complaints to hospitals and care homes about treatment provided, and to the Care Quality Commission. In tragic cases where an elderly person has died as a result of neglect, we can also assist with the inquest to find out what went wrong.

Proven Expertise In Elderly Abuse, Hospital And Care Home Claims

Irwin Mitchell is also one of the largest and most experienced personal injury law firms in the country.

Our team includes many of the country’s finest personal injury lawyers. They operate in highly specialised teams, offering the highest level of legal expertise in elderly abuse claims.

Irwin Mitchell’s Commitment To Elderly Abuse

Irwin Mitchell’s first commitment is to you, and to achieving the best outcome for your claim.

We also have a long history of campaigning with leading organisations in numerous personal injury fields. Together with those organisations we seek improvements in health and safety, prevent accident and injury where possible, and improve the quality of life and levels of compensation for those who have suffered injury.

We have supported the Action on Elder Abuse campaign which called on the Government to introduce legislation that will protect vulnerable adults and older people following the “No Secrets” consultation launched by the Department of Health on 16th October 2008.

Select Related Client Stories

Failure to Fit Cot Sides Leads to Injury Compensation for Elderly Woman's Family

Our client was 87 when she died. She lived at home with her husband but was bedridden. A home care team visited the house 4 times a day to care for her and this system had worked well for several years.

In September 2004, one of the carers was going on holiday and so the family arranged for her to have 2 weeks respite care at a private nursing home.

The family notified staff at the home that she would need cot sides on her bed, as she had previously fallen out of bed. Despite this, no cot sides were put on the bed. As a result, she fell out of bed twice in two days, sustaining injuries. The family were not informed of these incidents and only found out when they noticed bruising to her shoulder.

A few days later, our client's family noticed that her foot was swollen. After she returned home, they noticed that her calf and hip were also bruised. She was taken to hospital where x-rays showed that she had fractured bones in her foot and her pelvis. This had clearly been causing her a lot of pain. Her condition deteriorated and, sadly, she died 2 weeks later.

The injuries were caused by falls from bed while she was in the nursing home. An investigation into what happened at the home has now been undertaken by the CSCI. The report concluded that the home should have fitted cot sides to the bed, and recommended that further training be given to staff at the home. It also criticised the failure of medical staff to realise that our client had sustained injuries, and to arrange for appropriate medical help.

Several other criticisms were made of the home.

Sarah Rowland of Irwin Mitchell was successful in pursuing a clinical negligence compensation claim for the family against the nursing home.

We have lawyers with the expertise and experience needed to help you with your claim. Choose from the list below to learn more about our experts in this area.

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Guidance With Strength And Sensitivity

We understand that contacting a lawyer might seem like a big step - especially if you have not done so before and we have therefore made it easy for you to contact us for free initial advice.about your claim.

At Irwin Mitchell we understand the real impact of personal injury. Our team of specialists have the skills and experience to give you clear advice about the chances of pursuing a successful claim and to guide you through the claims process.You can then decide if you want us to pursue your claim on your behalf.

We are renowned for our understanding of the issues affecting you and your family, and we know what positive action to take to make a difference.

At Irwin Mitchell we will fight fearlessly to give you the greatest chance of winning your case, with the best possible outcome, and we will support you every step of the way.

Find out whether you have a claim today. Simply complete our online claim form or call us with details of your accident on 0800 056 4110.