Practice Areas
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Nursing Home Abuse & Neglect
- Golden Living Centers in North Carolina and elsewhere - are the alleged problems in this nursing chain over?
- Nursing Home Transparency Bill Passes
- Nursing Home Abuse: Accountability and Transparency
- CNA Treatment Surely Affects Patient Care In Nursing Homes
- Britthaven Nursing Homes: On the Watch List?
Medical Negligence, Mistakes and Malpractice
- Medical Malpractice Myth - Tom Baker's Book
- Medical Malpractice Insurers Faked Lawsuit Crisis
- Medical Malpractice and Tort Reform: AAJ Primer
- Would Tort or Medical Malpractice Lawsuit Reform Lower Health Care Costs?
- Americans for Insurance Reform Articles on Medical Malpractice
Personal Injury & Wrongful Death
- Auto Accident Insurance (Underinsured Motorist Coverage)
- Life Care Plans for Future Care in Personal Injury Cases Add Up
- $1.9 Million Settlement to Man Killed by Drunk Driver
- Threat of Personal Injury from Dog Bites in Fayetteville North Carolina
Insurance: Unfair Insurance Claim Practices
- Assurant Insurance (formerly Fortis Insurance) Pays Dearly For Misconduct
- Buying Disability Insurance Article May Help Avoid Problems With Unfair Disability Insurance Claim Denials
- Unum Insurance, Provident Life Insurance, Paul Revere Insurance - Regulatory Settlement Details, etc.
- Independent Insurance Adjusters - Help With Insurance Claim Problems
- Insurance Bad Faith Claims on Wikipedia
General
News
- Article on Nursing Home Injury and Nursing Home Wrongful Death Lawsuit Pioneer
Posted on 5/14/2009 - Sunbridge Nursing Home Lawsuit Filed
Posted on 5/13/2009 - Family sues nursing home in alleged sex attack
Posted on 5/13/2009 - Kindred Nursing Homes and Hospitals' Profits Increased in First Quarter 2009
Posted on 5/6/2009 - North Carolina Medical Malpractice Case Filed Against Hospital Over Death Of Child
Posted on 5/5/2009
Thomas Pleasant, North Carolina Injury, Wrongful Death and Insurance Law attorney
Nursing Home Abuse & Neglect
Physical abuse is rampant in American nursing homes. About 2500 cases of physical abuse by nursing home staff are being reported each year. Battery is the most obvious type of physical abuse, but this crime can also include putting the patient in excessive restraints or physically confining residents for no valid reason. It is surprising to some that physical abuse in nursing homes is easily hidden. Very often, nursing home staffs will explain away injuries by claiming a victim has fallen – not an uncommon occurrence among elderly people. Even if they are explained, frequent bruises, cuts, sprains or factures could be a sign of abuse. And it is important to know that sometimes a nursing home resident will concur with the staffs’ explanation of an injury simply because they have been intimidated into doing so.
There are many reasons cited for this epidemic of physical abuse in nursing homes. The National Center on Elder Abuse says that the hiring of poorly trained and underpaid workers, together with rampant understaffing, is partly to blame for nursing home abuse. Only 41 states require that nursing home workers undergo criminal background checks, and the poor pay often leads nursing homes to hire staff with unsavory histories. Understaffing can also take a toll on workers, causing them to lose patience with difficult residents. But whatever the cause, any form of nursing abuse is inexcusable and should not be tolerated.
Physical abuse in a nursing home robs already vulnerable people of their sense of security and turns their last years into a nightmare. If someone you love has been subjected to physical abuse in a nursing home they may be entitled to compensation. Please fill out the form at the right for a free case review by an attorney.
Medical Negligence, Mistakes and Malpractice
North Carolina lawyer/attorney Thomas Waitt Pleasant helps people who have been hurt by the errors and mistakes of hospitals, doctors, physicians, nurses and other health care providers. If you have a medical malpractice or medical negligence case, attorney Pleasant can help you anywhere in North Carolina, including Raleigh, Charlotte, Wilmington, Fayetteville, Greensboro, Winston-Salem, or other areas.
Personal Injury & Wrongful Death
If you have been injured in an accident, or by a dangerous or defective product, call Thomas Pleasant for an evaluation of your personal injury case. If you have been injured through no fault of your own, you are entitled to compensation. If you are having problems getting a fair settlement from the insurance company for your injuries, including your pain and suffering, and medical bills, Thomas Pleasant can help. Contact The Law Offices of Thomas Waitt Pleasant, PLLC, before you speak with an insurance company representative, or sign anything.
Insurance: Unfair Insurance Claim Practices
The North Carolina General Statutes provide clear standards for insurance company behavior, providing you with protection from unfair claims handling. If you feel your insurance company is unfairly or wrongly denying or delaying your claim, you might have an unfair claims practices insurance claim, and Thomas Waitt Pleasant might be able to help you get what you deserve.
Insurance companies play a numbers game. Figuring that only a small percentage of people will dispute the insurers’ decisions, they often deny valid claims or offer smaller settlements that what is fairly warranted. These unfair insurance practices are illegal in North Carolina, but you’ll need an attorney to prove your case. Attorney Thomas Waitt Pleasant handles insurance claims. Contact Thomas Pleasant today for a free consultation.
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Insurance: Unfair Insurance Claim Practices
- What if my insurance company says that my claim is not covered due to the specific provision?
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- What kind of bad faith insurance claims are there?