Abuse Of The Elderly And Infirmed

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Of the many different types of abuse that receive media attention child abuse ranks amongst the highest. Child abuse certainly deserves the attention it gets but many other prevalent types of abuse go overlooked as a result. Abuse of the elderly for example is extremely common yet it is rarely talked about in great detail if at all.

Reprehensible Acts Against Senior Citizens

There are a great deal of different types of abuse elderly and sick persons are subjected to. It's important to recognize each type in order to intervene on behalf of those who are physically or mentally unable to do so.

Physical And Sexual Abuse - Children are not the only people who become victims of physical and sexual abuse. These crimes are committed against the elderly and the infirmed with far greater frequency than they should be. Caregivers and family should pay close attention to not only the physical marks left behind by these types of abuse but should take care not to dismiss complaints from the elderly as a product of old age or senility.

Neglect - Neglectful behavior towards the elderly and sick by those whom care for them is an all too common tale. Moreover the greater the care required, the easier it is for unscrupulous persons to neglect them. Elderly neglect can involve something as simple as failing to administer medication and much more serious acts such as leaving them unfed, cleaned, or even allowing them to remain in soiled bedding, clothing, or diapers. Purposefully ignoring the needs of people whom can not care for themselves is a criminal act and perpetrators should be held accountable.

Abandonment - Similar to neglect but far worse, abandonment of the elderly more or less involves purposefully moving away or refusing to care for someone a caregiver is legally responsible for. Abandonment can result in both serious injury and death and maybe the most difficult type of elderly/sick abuse to identify. More often than not abandoned elderly are incapable for reaching out for help on their own and may be trapped where they were left.

Financial Abuse - Through manipulation the elderly and the sick can be scammed or conned with relative ease by persons whom make a living doing so. This type of abuse may come from friends, family, orderlies, doctors, or any other type of care giver. Loved ones should keep an eye out for odd gift giving, new persons receiving loans or handouts, odd spending, and of course the bank accounts of their loved ones.

Additional Types Of Abuse

There are several other types of abuse that the elderly and sick fall victim to. These include:

• Isolation
• Abduction
• Mental suffering
• Healthcare fraud
• Dependant abuse

It can be difficult to spot elderly abuse of any type but it's important for loved ones to be vigilant when they believe abuse is occurring. Speaking with both law enforcement and an attorney can help stop the abuse and hold those responsible for it accountable.

Dangerous Travels

With every mode of travel there comes a certain amount of risk. While people tend to focus on automobile, motorcycle, and airplane travel, travel on foot and on personal units like bicycles is often overlooked. Although we all know that pedestrian and cyclist deaths and injuries do occur most of us believe those numbers to be rather small. Unfortunately reality shows us constantly that traveling by foot and on bicycle are both far more dangerous than most believe them to be. In fact recent data shows that over 14% of all crash victims are not those in a vehicle but rather pedestrians and those on bikes.

Taking Precautions

It is advisable to take precautions when travelling in any type of vehicle. Pedestrians and cyclists should take even greater precautions before stepping out into the streets and onto sidewalks. Such persons are not only contending with other pedestrian and riders but with automobiles as well. Negligent and/or irresponsible drivers can cause the type of damage that results in severe personal injury and/or death. To safeguard themselves against such dangers pedestrians should be as observant as possible while out. Pedestrians can wear brightly colored clothing or specialized vests to make themselves more visible while cyclists can and should wear protective gear like helmets, and pads over their knees, elbows, and even chests. Both cyclists and pedestrians should also refrain from wearing headphones while riding/walking and should never text and walk or ride. This will allow them to remain alert and give them an opportunity to react to imminent danger.

Who's Most Likely To Sustain Injury?

If the fact that walking and cycling are very dangerous ways to travel isn't surprising enough government data shows that 69% of walking and cycling injuries/deaths involve men. Moreover the vast majority of injuries and deaths occur between 6 and 9 pm though this tends to be the busiest time of day for streets. It might also surprise some that 34% of those injured or killed while walking/cycling had a blood alcohol level of .08 or higher. It's not only irresponsible and dangerous to drink and drive but to drink and walk/cycle too. Lastly, California, Florida, and Texas lead the United States in pedestrian and cyclist deaths. Fortunately for survivors and their families there are personal injury attorneys that help ensure culpable persons are held accountable for their negligent behavior.

Personal Injury: No Laughing Matter

All jokes and over the top daytime television commercials aside, personal injury is no joke. Sustaining serious injury at work, in public, or anywhere for that matter can not only be physically debilitating but financially as well. Individuals whom get hurt often find themselves in a number of precarious positions and having to make a variety of unpleasant decisions. They may deal with fewer hours at work, long term unemployment, loss of their home, and even strained personal relationships.

You vs. The World

When an individual makes the decision to litigate their injury they may feel as though it's them against the world or David vs. Goliath. In many cases defendants attorneys will use intimidation tactics, fear, and flat out lies in an effort to manipulate injured individuals and even scare them into a paltry settlement or into going away silently altogether. Injured parties should never capitulate and instead should work with a personal injury attorney to fight for fair compensation. Personal injury attorneys also stop the harassment and personal attacks allowing injured persons to heal and begin moving on with their lives.

What Type Of Injury?

A serious injury is defined as an injury that causes undue suffering. This includes injuries that cause an individual to lose physical abilities, physiological trauma as a result of an injury, injuries that cause loss of work, etc. Serious injury can occur at work, out in public, in the home, and of course can involve various types of vehicles.  Litigating a personal injury may seem intimidating and a daunting task but doing so ensures an individual is compensated not only for their injury but for medicals costs, lost wages, and pain and suffering. Culpable parties and their attorneys will often do everything in their power to frighten plantiff's, shift blame, or shrug off responsibility. It behooves every seriously injured person to fight hard along side a personal injury attorney.

Orange County Personal Injury Attorney by Gokal Law