Attorneys Allen & Parker offer local knowledge about nursing home abuse & neglect

Attorneys Jacob C. Parker and David S. Allen have joined forces to bring Chattanooga and North Georgia a law firm dedicated to protecting the rights of individuals who have been injured as a result of nursing home abuse and neglect.

After working for several years as an attorney who defended claims against nursing homes, Parker said he found he had a unique skill set that could help people who were injured in local nursing homes and skilled nursing facilities.

"I saw a void in the Chattanooga and North Georgia legal market regarding patient advocacy and realized that with my unique experience, I could strategize and help families injured by healthcare providers, particularly those injured in the nursing home," he said, adding that many injuries that happen can and should be avoided.

A typical case begins with a client, most likely an adult child of an aging parent or loved one who's been placed in the care of a nursing home, asking the firm to look into the incident and related injuries. Typical injuries include falls, bed sores, dehydration, and medication errors.

"We see a lot of falls with broken bones and closed head injuries, or individuals who are sent to the hospital for other reasons and the hospital discovers a bed sore," Parker said. "Many clients don't know what a bedsore is or that these sores can and should be prevented with regular turning and repositioning of the patient."

From the time of the client's initial inquiry, Allen & Parker meet with the family to allow them to give their account or timeline of events. The firm then requests the patient's medical records from the nursing home at which the person was injured as well as the hospital that treated the injury. Once the records are received, Parker creates his own timeline and then sends the medical records to expert physicians who are familiar with the local standard of care. These expert reviews determine whether the standard of care has been violated and therefore, whether a case can be further pursued. If the expert determines that a violation has occurred we then mail a formal Pre-Suit Notice of Intent to Sue letter to the nursing home responsible for the client's injury.

Parker emphasized that his and Allen's practice is not a volume shop. We work the cases we know and give each case the time and attention it deserves always keeping our clients updated and informed regarding the progress of the case.

"As much as possible, we keep everything conversational with the local defense attorneys who defend these types of claims. We have found that open communication is beneficial to all parties involved in these types of cases."

Allen said he works on the front end to educate his clients on what to look for in a nursing home in order to reduce the chance of resident injury and a subsequent lawsuit. In addition to working with clients to select the proper facility, Allen also instructs clients that they are not required to sign an arbitration agreement upon admission to a nursing home.

The federal government regulates all facilities that admit patients who receive Medicare benefits. Medicare.gov allows families to compare and contrast local facilities that receive Medicare funding, he said.

"We also strongly recommend that families tour the facility before admitting their loved one," said Parker. "Your senses will immediately tell you whether it is a good facility regardless of the materials you have read or the facility description you have been provided."