The Elder Abuse and Dependent Adult Civil Protection Act (Act) was strengthened in 1991, when California legislature added Welfare & Institutions Code §15657 to the Act. This was done to specifically address the needs of California elders and the unique struggles they face, to include elder abuse, neglect, and abandonment.
Because elders may be seen as a disadvantaged class, California elder abuse attorneys who advocate for elders who have been abused, or the families of those who have passed away, are able to charge attorney’s fees and costs to the defendant (abuser). This helps those whose loved elders were mistreated by others who intentionally acted in a reckless, malicious, fraudulent, or oppressive manner to recover damages for the elder, or the family if the elder is deceased.
As such, those who can sue for Elder Abuse in Southern California will include both the family members of the abused elder (if the elder is deceased), or the elders themselves. If the suspected victim has died as the result of abuse or neglect while residing in a California nursing home, the family has the right to file a lawsuit on behalf of their deceased elder, and the court proceedings will ensue as if the elder were still living.
In many cases, where the elder has died, and the family believes the death was caused by misconduct, negligence, or abuse by the hands of another, two cases will evolve. One case will directly address the abuse, and proceed as if the elder were still alive. The second will be a wrongful death case filed on behalf of the survivors. The cases are very different. The injury/abuse case will take into account the injuries sustained by the elder, which will then be granted to the deceased elder’s estate. The wrongful death suit will serve to compensate the family and heirs of the elder who has passed away.
If you are unsure as to whether or not you have a case for an elder abuse lawsuit, contact Chris Walton today for a free consultation. Chris is an award winning elder abuse attorney who is based in San Diego, CA. Walton Law, APC focuses their entire practice on advocacy for elders who have been abused, or those who have suffered grave personal injury. Click here to schedule a consultation.
Christopher C. Walton, who obtained his Juris Doctor degree from California Western School of Law, graduating cum laude, in 2003, founded Walton Law, APC, in 2010. He was then admitted to the California Bar in 2004. Christopher Walton has recovered millions of dollars for elderly and injured clients and their families, throughout Southern California. For more information visit www.waltonlawapc.com or call (866) 338-7079.