William Eadie: Dedicated to Ending Nursing Home Abuse

The Red Wagon Estate Planning & Elder Law Show

William Eadie is an attorney dedicated to ending nursing home abuse. His firm, Eadie Hill Trial Lawyers, is one of the few law firms in the area that focuses only on abuse and neglect in the long-term care (LTC) industry. Most often, he is called upon to help the family of an LTC resident who has been injured or killed due to abuse or neglect.

Your podcast host, Jeffrey R. Bellomo, the founder of Bellomo & Associates, is a licensed and certified elder law attorney with a master’s degree in taxation and a certificate in estate planning. He explains complex legal and financial topics in easy-to-understand language.

Key Takeaways

(00:23) – Introducing William Eadie

• William’s firm, which serves Ohio and western Pennsylvania, handles abuse and neglect cases in nursing homes, assisted living facilities, memory care centers, etc.
• When family members or others report abuse, the first step is to investigate
• If warranted, the firm will work to hold the facility accountable

(03:38) – Developing an interest in NH abuse and neglect

• As a young lawyer, Will recognized that legal claims involving people in long-term care (LTC) often were not valued and respected
• He and his partner started their firm to specialize in LTC abuse and neglect

(08:18) – Settlements v jury trials

• Defendants (e.g., insurance companies) increasingly prefer settling out of court because arbitration and dispute resolution favor the defendant, not the family
• William’s firm requests jury trials rather than bench trials because juries tend to be more responsive to incidents of abuse and neglect
• In Ohio, you are not required to sign, and you cannot be forced to sign, an arbitration agreement upon admission to an LTC facility
• William recommends that you do not sign the arbitration agreement and it’s better to X-out the signature area rather than leave the arbitration form blank

(19:02) – Complex grief

• When people lose a loved one to alleged abuse and/or negligence, they experience “complex grief”
• Clients should understand that litigation in this area means that the “open wound” of the loss may not be able to heal during an ongoing lawsuit so it’s best to avoid unnecessary delays

(19:53) – What to look for when touring an LTC facility

• Be aware of understaffing
• Look at “Nursing Home Compare” on Medicare website
• Notice the smell and whether people are clean, dressed, in bed, etc.
• Visit during off hours when the staff is not expecting you

(27:05) – Contact Eadie Hill Trial Lawyers

• On Facebook, search #healthyinanursinghome
• Call 866-NH-ABUSE or [phone]

Links and Resources Mentioned

Eadie Hill Trial Lawyers

https://www.eadiehill.com/

Nursing Home Compare

https://www.medicare.gov/care-compare/?redirect=true&providerType=NursingHome

Bellomo & Associates workshops:https://bellomoassociates.com/workshops/

• Life Care Planning
• The Three Secrets of Estate Planning
• Nuts & Bolts of Medicaid

For more information, call us at [phone].

Connect with Bellomo & Associates on Social Media Twitter:https://twitter.com/bellomoassoc YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/BellomoAssociates Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/bellomoassociates Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/bellomoassociates/

LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/bellomoandassociates

Ways to work with Jeff Bellomo

Contact Us:https://bellomoassociates.com/contact/

Practice areas:https://bellomoassociates.com/practice-areas/