Orlando Group Home Abuse and Neglect Attorneys

Adults and children with developmental disabilities often live in group homes where they receive specialized care and training adapted to their specific needs and capabilities. These vulnerable people are dependent on others to provide the supervision and care necessary to help them through everyday life. Although most of these facilities provide competent and compassionate care to the residents, abuse and neglect do occur in group home settings. When that happens, the Orlando group home abuse and neglect attorneys at Warner & Warner can help you understand and pursue your legal options.

Florida Group Home Abuse Laws

Both the U.S. federal government and the State of Florida have enacted laws aimed at protecting developmentally disabled adults and children residing in residential facilities and group homes. Originally passed in 1965, and reauthorized several times since then, the Older Americans Act (OAA) includes provisions that established and now strengthen the Long-Term Care Ombudsman program as well as provide support for elder abuse screening and prevention. The Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program (LTCOP) a statewide, volunteer-based system of local units that act as advocates for residents of long-term care facilities. In Florida, the LTCOP is governed by Part I, Chapter 400 of the Florida Statutes.

Collectively, these laws protect the rights of developmentally disabled adults and children living in group home settings and provide legal recourse when those rights are violated. The Orlando group home abuse lawyers at Warner & Warner are intimately familiar with these complex and often complicated laws and have successfully helped numerous clients enforce their rights, or the rights of a loved one, under these laws.

Group Home Injuries

There are many different types of injuries that can be associated with group homes, such as:

• Physical Abuse — Physical injuries may include anything from cuts and bruises to serious fractures, neck and back injuries, or even a traumatic Brain Injury (TBI).
• Rape and Other Sexual Abuses — Group home residents are particularly vulnerable to sexual predators as they are often unable to tell anyone when they have been victimized.
• Lack of Supervision — Despite rules and regulations that require adequate supervision, group home residents may be left unattended, resulting in injury.
• Delayed or Denied Medical Care — The medical needs of group home residents may be ignored or not addressed in a timely manner which can result in illness or injury.
• Medication Errors — Staff members are typically responsible for administering medication to group home residents. Careless or negligent monitoring of medications can lead to errors that may cause dangerous drug interactions and/or a worsening medical condition.
• Infections — Underlying medical conditions frequently make clean and sanitary conditions crucial in a group home to prevent infection. When staff members fail to adhere to those standards, a resident may develop a life-threatening infection.
• Burns — When not properly supervised, residents in a group home setting are at risk of suffering severe burn injuries while cooking or using electrical devices, or by coming into contact with scalding hot water.
• Falls and Drops — Disabled individuals are particularly at risk for injury caused by falls when they are not properly monitored. Group home residents may also suffer drop injuries when staff fails to use the proper protocols and safety measures when moving them.
• Dehydration and Malnutrition — Severely disabled residents depend entirely on staff to provide the necessary nutrition and hydration to keep them healthy. When those basic life-sustaining needs are not met, a resident can become seriously ill or die.
• Unexplained Injuries — When a group home resident is injured without an adequate explanation an investigation should be initiated to determine if abuse or neglect led to the injury.

When to Contact an Orlando Group Home Abuse and Neglect Attorney

If you have a child or other loved one in a group home, you are placing your trust in that facility. You expect your loved one to receive proper medical care and to be treated with compassion. When that trust is violated, the responsible party (or parties) should be held accountable and be required to compensate the victim.

The experienced Orlando group home abuse and neglect attorney at Warner & Warner have seen firsthand what can happen to our most vulnerable population when the very people entrusted with their care victimizes them instead. We are dedicated to holding wrongdoers responsible when a group home resident is abused or neglected and ensuring that the victim is fully compensated for the physical as well as emotional injuries suffered.

Our group home abuse and neglect attorneys at Warner & Warner have the specialized experience and knowledge required to successfully prove and litigate cases of group home abuse or neglect. This type of experience is rare, and these cases are especially important to us. In our past cases, we have worked closely with law enforcement and criminal prosecutors to help prove our case and punish abusers. Call us at 321-972-1889 or contact us online to schedule a free case review.