Tampa Nursing Home Abuse Lawyer

Why Choose Us as Your Tampa Elder Abuse Lawyer

At Boohoff Law, P.A., our team brings compassionate and skilled advocacy to families across Tampa. We recognize the profound trust you placed in a care facility and the deep sense of betrayal that comes with the discovery of abuse or neglect. 

We dedicate our resources and experience to fighting for the dignity and rights of your loved one.

A Deep Connection to Tampa 

Our firm has strong roots in the Tampa Bay area. We represent families from neighborhoods across the city, from New Tampa to South Tampa, and along key corridors like Bayshore Boulevard and Dale Mabry Highway. 

We know the local court systems in Hillsborough County and understand the community standards of care that juries expect from facilities, whether they’re near the University of Tampa or in quieter suburbs.

A Relentless Pursuit of Accountability

Care facilities and their insurance carriers often have significant legal resources designed to minimize their responsibility. Our attorneys aggressively counter their tactics. We prepare every case as if it will go to trial, which positions us to negotiate from a position of strength. 

We work to uncover the truth and demand the full compensation your loved one deserves.

Our Family-Focused Approach

At Boohoff Law, we see more than a case file; we see a family navigating a difficult and painful time. Our team provides clear, consistent communication throughout the entire legal process. You’ll always know the status of your case and can feel confident that you’re making informed decisions. Our approach includes practical guidance on how to hire a lawyer, helping you understand what to look for in legal experience, reputation, and responsiveness so you can choose the right advocate for your loved one’s needs.

We manage the legal complexities so you can dedicate your full attention to your loved one’s care and emotional recovery. Our work helps reveal the full scope of the harm and provides the resources for your family’s future. We believe that true justice accounts for the needs of your entire family.

 For a free, confidential case evaluation, call our Tampa office at (813) 445-8161.

Recognizing the Different Forms of Nursing Home Abuse

When you suspect harm, knowing what to look for helps clarify the situation. Abusive or negligent actions can take many forms, and staff may try to conceal their behavior or explain away injuries. 

Abuse and neglect fall into several distinct categories. A skilled Tampa nursing home abuse lawyer investigates all possibilities to identify the full scope of the harm. 

Common examples include:

• Physical Abuse: This involves any use of physical force that causes pain or injury, including hitting, pushing, restraining improperly, or force-feeding.
• Emotional or Psychological Abuse: This includes verbal assaults, threats, harassment, or intimidation. Emotional abuse also covers isolating a resident from friends, family, or activities.
• Financial Exploitation: This involves the illegal or improper use of a resident’s funds, property, or assets. Examples range from forging checks to coercing a resident to change their will.
• Neglect: This is the failure to provide the basic necessities of life, such as food, water, hygiene, or medical care. It’s one of the most common and damaging forms of mistreatment in long-term care facilities.

Identifying the Warning Signs of Neglect and Abuse

The signs of mistreatment are often subtle at first, and residents may be unable or afraid to speak up about what is happening. Families should remain vigilant and look for changes in their loved one’s physical condition or emotional state. Understanding who is liable for the abuse or neglect is critical, as responsibility may rest with the facility itself, administrators, or individual staff members who failed to provide proper care.

Some of the most common indicators are:

• Unexplained Injuries: Bruises, welts, cuts, or broken bones are key red flags, especially when the facility’s explanation seems unlikely or changes over time.
• Sudden Behavioral Changes: Increased fear, anxiety, depression, or withdrawal from social interaction are common behavioral changes that arise from abuse. A resident who becomes agitated or non-communicative may be experiencing distress.
• Poor Hygiene: An unkempt appearance, dirty clothes or bedding, or strong odors can indicate a lack of basic care and resident neglect.
• Rapid Weight Loss or Dehydration: Significant weight loss or signs of dehydration, like dry skin and chapped lips, often suggest malnourishment or a failure to provide adequate fluids.
• Development of Bedsores: Also known as pressure ulcers, bedsores are a serious sign of neglect that indicates a resident isn’t being moved or repositioned properly.

Who Can Be Held Liable for Nursing Home Neglect?

Florida law allows victims and their families to hold negligent parties accountable. Determining who is responsible requires a thorough investigation into the facility’s operations and the actions of its staff. Understanding your rights and recovery options helps you pursue compensation for medical costs, pain and suffering, and other damages while ensuring those at fault are held accountable.

Multiple parties may share liability for the harm your loved one endured. An experienced elder abuse lawyer in Hillsborough County helps pinpoint all responsible entities to build a comprehensive claim.

Several parties may be liable, for instance:

• The Nursing Home Facility: The corporation that owns and operates the home holds primary responsibility for the overall safety and care of its residents. Liability often stems from its failure to maintain a safe environment, hire qualified staff, or provide adequate training.
• Administrators and Supervisors: The people in charge of daily operations can be held accountable for their role in creating a culture of neglect. This includes managers who cut corners on staffing or fail to address repeated complaints from residents or families.
• Individual Staff Members: A specific nurse, aide, or other employee who directly perpetrates abuse or neglect can be held personally responsible for their actions or inaction.
• Third-Party Contractors: Sometimes, a facility outsources services like food preparation, therapy, or security. If a third-party employee causes harm, their company may also be a party to the lawsuit.

How a Tampa Nursing Home Abuse Lawyer Collects and Uses Evidence 

A successful claim requires strong, documented evidence that connects a facility’s failure to the resident’s injuries. Insurance companies will often contest the cause of an injury, attributing it to the resident’s age or pre-existing health conditions. If you wonder can I still file a claim, the answer is yes when evidence shows the negligence directly caused harm, even if the resident had prior health issues.

Our legal team works diligently to gather and present clear evidence that counters these defense tactics. A Tampa nursing home abuse lawyer from Boohoff Law knows how to assemble the proof needed to form a powerful argument for compensation.

We methodically collect all documentation, for instance:

• Medical Records: We analyze a resident’s complete medical history, including charts from before, during, and after their stay at the facility, to document their decline in health and connect it to substandard care.
• Facility Records: This includes staffing schedules, incident reports, cleaning logs, and internal policy documents. These records can reveal patterns of understaffing, safety violations, or a failure to follow proper procedures.
• Witness Testimony: Statements from other residents, visiting family members, and even compassionate staff members can provide firsthand accounts of the abuse or neglect.
• Expert Opinions: We may collaborate with medical experts, geriatric care specialists, and other professionals who can review the evidence and provide authoritative testimony about how the facility breached the standard of care and harmed your loved one.

Our legal team uses this information to shape a case that clearly demonstrates the facility’s failures. We meticulously chisel away at the defense’s arguments until the truth is all that remains, explaining how these details can impact your accident claim and strengthen the pursuit of full compensation.