Nursing Home Abuse and Neglect Lawyers in Norman, Oklahoma

Nursing homes are supposed to be places of safety and nurturing care for vulnerable elders. When you suspect that your loved one has been neglected or abused by the people who were supposed to care for them, it is frightening, and it is hard to know what to believe.

At Glass & Tabor, we help families answer two questions: what really happened to their loved one, and could it have been prevented. Our lawyers are persistent and thorough when it comes to pursuing accountability. At the same time, we are skilled negotiators who understand how to resolve these cases in a favorable manner, whether that means fighting in court or pursuing a strong settlement.

Our ultimate goal is justice and compensation for your loved one, who deserves so much better than the mistreatment they have endured.

What Are the Warning Signs of Nursing Home Abuse?

Common warning signs include bedsores, unexplained falls or injuries, sudden weight loss, poor hygiene, withdrawal from family, and a decline in health that staff cannot clearly explain. Signs can be subtle in elders who have cognitive or speech impairments, so a change in mood or behavior deserves the same attention as a visible injury.

• Bedsores, also called pressure ulcers
• Unexplained falls, fractures or bruising
• Sudden weight loss, malnutrition or dehydration
• Isolation and withdrawal
• Insomnia or noticeable changes in mood
• Escalating health conditions
• Wandering, also called “elopement”

What Are Common Forms of Nursing Home Neglect?

Mistreatment generally falls into a handful of recurring categories, ranging from outright physical abuse to the quieter, slower harm of neglect. Common examples include:

• Physical abuse
• Sexual assault
• Malnutrition and dehydration
• Bedsores and infections from improper care
• Medication errors
• Inadequate supervision of residents

It is important to enlist legal help if you notice signs of neglect or abuse in a loved one. Our attorneys can help you take the appropriate action to protect your loved one and investigate what is going on behind the scenes. We can help you pursue accountability through a personal injury or wrongful death claim, if warranted.

Is It Neglect, or a Decline That Could Not Be Prevented?

This is often the hardest question for a family, and it is the right one to ask. Elderly residents can decline even with good care, and not every fall or illness means someone did something wrong. Neglect is different: it is a failure to provide care the resident needed, when the facility knew or should have known about the risk.

Some patterns suggest that something may have gone wrong:

• An injury that staff cannot explain, or explanations that change over time
• A serious change in condition that the family learned about late, or not from the facility
• Records that do not match what you saw during your visits
• The same problem happening more than once, such as repeated falls or worsening bedsores
• Difficulty getting straight answers or copies of your loved one’s records

None of these proves neglect on its own. They are reasons to look closer, and looking closer is what we do.

Why Does Nursing Home Abuse Happen?

Many cases trace back to staffing and management failures rather than a single bad actor. How is it that licensed, professional care facilities end up becoming hotbeds of abuse and neglect? Many factors may play a role, including:

• Understaffing
• Negligent hiring
• Inadequate supervision
• Insufficient training

Often, when reports of abuse or neglect come to light, they get swept under the rug, amplifying the horrific impact of mistreatment. Our personal injury lawyers are passionate about righting wrongs and standing up against injustice.

How Do We Find Out What Really Happened?

A family usually sees only part of the picture. The rest is in the facility’s own records, and finding it takes a careful, organized investigation. In a nursing home case, we work to obtain and review:

• The resident’s complete chart, including nursing notes, physician orders, and medication records
• The resident’s assessments and care plan, which show what risks the facility identified and what it promised to do about them
• Incident and fall reports, and the facility’s internal communications about them
• Staffing schedules and staffing levels on the days that matter
• The facility’s inspection history and any prior violations

From those records we build a timeline of what happened, when it happened, and who knew. We have qualified medical professionals review the care your loved one received against the standards that apply.

How Do You Determine Whether the Harm Was Preventable?

Preventability is at the center of a nursing home case. It usually comes down to a few questions:

• Was the risk known? Did the facility’s own assessments identify the danger, such as a fall risk or a risk of pressure sores?
• Was there a plan? Did the care plan address that risk with specific steps?
• Was the plan followed? Do the records show the resident was repositioned, supervised, fed, and given medication as required?
• Was there enough staff to do it? Staffing records can show whether the care plan was realistic on the shifts in question.
• Was the change recognized in time? When the resident’s condition changed, did staff notice, act, and notify the family and physician?

When the answers show that a known risk went unaddressed, the harm was likely preventable, and the facility can be held accountable. When they do not, we will tell you that honestly.

What Glass & Tabor Brings to a Nursing Home Case

Nursing home cases are serious cases. They often involve detailed medical records, facilities with their own lawyers and insurers, and families who need someone they can trust. Glass & Tabor has represented injured Oklahomans since 1998.

• Experience with these cases. Founding partner Woody Glass has represented plaintiffs across Oklahoma for more than 30 years in serious cases involving nursing home negligence, medical negligence, and wrongful death, and has litigated cases against nursing homes, physicians, and hospitals. Attorneys Geoffrey Tabor and Jonathan Irwin also handle nursing home abuse and neglect cases.
• Preparation. We prepare each case as if it will be decided in court. That preparation is what gives a family leverage, whether the case settles or goes to trial.
• A background in medical cases. The firm also handles medical malpractice cases, which rest on the same kind of medical records and standards of care that decide a nursing home case.
• Results. The firm’s published results include nursing home recoveries of $1,000,000 and $325,000. Every case is different, and past results do not guarantee a similar outcome.

Just as important is judgment. Not every case should be filed. We will look at what happened, tell you plainly what we think, and recommend a path that makes sense for your family.

How Do I Report Nursing Home Abuse in Oklahoma?

In Oklahoma, suspected abuse, neglect or exploitation of a vulnerable adult can be reported to Adult Protective Services through the Oklahoma Human Services statewide hotline. You do not need proof before you call, and you do not have to identify yourself. If someone is in immediate danger, call 911 first.

Concerns about a licensed facility can also be raised with the Oklahoma State Department of Health, which inspects long term care facilities, and with the Long Term Care Ombudsman program, which advocates for residents and their families.

Reporting and pursuing a legal claim are two separate paths, and you can do both. A report may prompt an investigation of the facility. A civil claim is how your family seeks compensation for the harm your loved one suffered.

How Long Do I Have to File a Nursing Home Claim in Oklahoma?

Oklahoma law sets a limited window for filing these claims, and once it closes the right to recover compensation is generally lost no matter how strong the case is. Because certain circumstances can shorten or extend that window, and because evidence in these cases can disappear quickly, it is worth speaking with an attorney as early as possible. We can tell you where you stand during a free consultation.

What Rights Do Nursing Home Residents Have in Oklahoma?

Oklahoma law guarantees nursing home residents a set of protections, including the right to be free from abuse and neglect, to receive adequate care, to be treated with dignity and respect, to participate in decisions about their own care, and to raise complaints without fear of retaliation. When a facility violates those protections and a resident is harmed, that violation can support a civil claim.

Get Help for Your Vulnerable Loved One

If you suspect that your loved one is suffering from elder abuse or neglect in a nursing home or professional care facility, do not wait to seek help. Contact our nursing home neglect lawyers in Norman, Oklahoma, at 405-360-9700 or reach out online for a free consultation.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I bring a claim for bedsores?

Often, yes. Advanced bedsores are widely regarded as a preventable injury, and their presence can be evidence that a resident was not being repositioned, monitored or cared for properly. We investigate the medical records and staffing records to determine what happened.

What if my loved one has already passed away?

Your family may still have a claim. When neglect or abuse contributes to a resident’s death, surviving family members may be able to pursue a wrongful death claim. Deadlines apply, so it is important to speak with an attorney promptly.

What if we signed an arbitration agreement at admission?

An arbitration clause in an admission packet does not automatically end your case. These agreements are common, but whether one is enforceable depends on how it was presented, who signed it and what it says. We review those documents as part of evaluating your case.

What happens when I contact Glass & Tabor about a nursing home case?

You will talk with someone about what you have seen and what has you concerned, at no cost and with no obligation. We will listen, explain your options in plain language, and tell you honestly whether we believe there is something worth pursuing. If we are not the right firm for your situation, we will say so and point you in a better direction.