Your Maryland Litigation Boutique

You can pursue a nursing home abuse or neglect case even if your loved one cannot communicate what happened. We understand that many nursing home residents suffer from dementia, cognitive impairment, or other conditions that affect their ability to describe their experiences, but this does not prevent us from building a strong case on their behalf. We rely on multiple forms of evidence including medical records, photographs of injuries, witness testimony from staff and other residents, facility records, and expert medical opinions to establish what occurred. Physical evidence such as unexplained injuries, bedsores, malnutrition, dehydration, or sudden changes in behavior often tells the story more clearly than words could. We also examine staffing records, training documentation, and facility inspection reports to identify patterns of neglect or inadequate care.

Our experience with nursing home cases has shown us how to recognize the signs of abuse and neglect even when victims cannot speak for themselves, and we work closely with medical experts who can interpret injuries and symptoms to determine their likely cause. Family members and visitors often provide crucial testimony about changes they observed in their loved one’s condition or behavior, helping us piece together the full picture of what happened.

Your business can typically continue operating normally during litigation, and we work diligently to minimize disruption to your daily operations. At Brown Kiely LLP, we understand that maintaining business continuity is important for your financial stability and long-term success. We structure our legal approach to allow your business to function with minimal interference, scheduling most litigation activities around your business needs and operating hours while our team handles the bulk of legal work independently.

Our experience in commercial disputes has taught us that swift, strategic action often prevents prolonged disruption, and we pursue efficient resolution methods like mediation and arbitration when appropriate. We maintain open communication throughout the process, providing regular updates on case progress and scheduling meetings at times that work best for your schedule. Our goal is to resolve your legal matter effectively while allowing you to maintain the business relationships and operations that drive your success.

In Maryland, you generally have three years from the date you discovered or should have discovered the abuse or neglect to file a nursing home lawsuit, while in Washington D.C., the statute of limitations is also typically three years from discovery of the harm. However, these deadlines can vary depending on the specific circumstances of your case, including the type of claim, when the abuse was discovered, and whether the victim has passed away.

We strongly recommend contacting us as soon as you suspect abuse or neglect has occurred, as waiting too long can jeopardize your ability to seek justice and compensation for your loved one. Time is critical in these cases because evidence can disappear, witnesses’ memories fade, and staff members may leave the facility, making it harder to build a strong case. We can evaluate your specific situation and determine the exact deadline that applies to your case, while also beginning the investigation process immediately to preserve crucial evidence and witness testimony.

Schools and daycares can be sued for child abuse committed by their employees, and we have experience holding these institutions accountable for failing to protect the children in their care. Educational institutions and childcare facilities have a legal duty to properly screen, train, and supervise their staff, and when they fail in these responsibilities, they can be held liable for the abuse that occurs. We can pursue claims against schools and daycares based on negligent hiring if they failed to conduct proper background checks, negligent supervision if they didn’t adequately monitor staff interactions with children, and negligent retention if they kept employees despite warning signs of inappropriate behavior.

These cases often involve multiple parties, including the individual abuser, the institution, and sometimes third-party entities responsible for background screening or oversight. We understand that these situations are devastating for families, and we work quickly to investigate the circumstances surrounding the abuse, examine the facility’s policies and procedures, and determine whether proper safeguards were in place. Time is critical in these cases, so we encourage parents to contact us immediately if they suspect their child has been abused at school or daycare.

If litigation seems likely, you should immediately preserve all relevant documents including contracts, correspondence, emails, text messages, financial records, and any other materials related to the dispute. We advise our clients to implement a litigation hold that stops the routine destruction of documents and requires employees to retain all potentially relevant materials, both physical and electronic. This includes preserving documents stored on computers, mobile devices, cloud storage, and backup systems, as well as maintaining records of meetings, phone calls, and internal communications about the matter.

We recommend creating copies of critical documents and storing them separately while also preserving metadata and original file formats when possible. The key is to act quickly and broadly – it’s better to preserve too much than to risk destroying evidence that could be crucial to your case. We work with our clients to develop a systematic approach to document preservation that protects their interests while maintaining business operations, and we can guide you through establishing proper procedures to safeguard important evidence from the moment a dispute arises.