Maria came to my office a couple years back. She was a wreck.
Her mom—73 years old—was at a place in Elmwood Park off North Avenue. Maria stopped by one Thursday to bring her some groceries. Found her mother with a black eye and busted lip.
"She fell in the bathroom," the staff said.
Her mom's been in a wheelchair for two years. Can't walk. How the hell did she fall in the bathroom?
Took me about a week to find out what really went down. Another resident—guy with bad dementia who'd gotten violent before—walked into her room and hit her. The staff knew this guy was dangerous. They'd written it up multiple times. But that day they were short on people, so nobody was watching him.
Maria's mom is fine now. Different facility. But she didn't need to go through that.
And this was Elmwood Park. Nice area. Good schools. Pretty streets. It happens here too.
Look, if you're on this page because something doesn't feel right about your parent's nursing home, you're probably onto something. When families suspect abuse, they're usually right.
I'm Scott DeSalvo. Been doing injury law for over 20 years. When I was nine, my dad got hurt bad at work. His case took 17 years, and at the end his own lawyer sued him for more money. I saw what that did to my family. That's why I do this. That's why I don't treat people like crap.
Call me. (312) 500-4500. Now, tomorrow, middle of the night—doesn't matter. We'll talk.
Most people think nursing home abuse means somebody's beating up old people. Sometimes it does. But there's other stuff too.
Hitting. Shoving. Being too rough. Tying people down when there's no reason for it.
Bruises that don't make sense. Broken bones. Burns. Marks on their wrists or ankles.
Had this guy a few years ago, late 70s, over by Harlem Avenue. Kept coming home from visits with bruises. "Oh, he falls a lot," they told his daughter.
Turned out one of the staff had a temper. Got rough with people who moved too slow. We got him fired. Got the family paid. But the guy still has nightmares about it.
This is the one that really scares me.
Missing medications. Not giving insulin to diabetics. Ignoring infections until they're serious. Heart problems that nobody pays attention to.
And bedsores. God, the bedsores.
Here's the thing—you can prevent bedsores. Turn the person every two hours. Keep them clean. Keep them dry. Pay attention. That's it.
When somebody's got a stage 3 or 4 bedsore—where you can see down to the muscle or bone—that means nobody did their job for weeks. Maybe months.
I've seen this in Elmwood Park nursing homes. Places charging seven, eight grand a month. Bone-deep bedsores. It's unforgivable.
Yelling at them. Calling them names. Threatening them. Making them feel like they're worthless. Ignoring them when they need help. Locking them in their room.
I talk to families all the time who tell me their mom or dad was doing pretty good mentally, then three months in a nursing home and they're totally different. Depressed. Scared. Won't talk.
Sometimes that's the disease getting worse. Sometimes it's because people are treating them like garbage.
Staff getting friendly with someone who's confused. Then money starts disappearing. Or jewelry. Or they're forging checks.
Had a case—guy in an Elmwood Park facility. Four months, $28,000 gone from his account. One of the nurses convinced him to write checks for her "daughter's medical bills." Total lie.
We got the money back. She got arrested. But a lot of families don't catch it in time.
Not bathing people. Not feeding them enough. Leaving them sitting in their own piss for hours. Not answering when they push the call button.
I've been in nursing home rooms where I wanted to throw up. Filthy. Smells like hell. Food sitting out from yesterday with flies on it.
This is Elmwood Park we're talking about. Not some dump. People pay good money for this "care."
Should you file a complaint with the state? Yeah, do it.
But here's what happens. Your complaint goes in a pile with thousands of others. Eventually someone looks at it. Maybe they investigate. Maybe they fine the place ten or twenty grand.
Who cares? These places are owned by huge companies. Twenty grand is nothing. They pay it and keep doing the same stuff.
What works? Suing them. Making it cost real money. Taking them to court.
Most Elmwood Park nursing homes are owned by big corporations. They've got lawyers on speed dial whose whole job is making these cases go away cheap. They stall. They make it complicated. They're betting you'll give up.
I don't give up. Been doing this too long.
I know these places. The ones on Grand Avenue, the ones near the train station, all of them. I know Cook County courts. And I know how to win.
Illinois is a fault-based state when it comes to auto accidents. That's actually good news for you, but only if you know how to use it. Let me explain what this means and why it matters.
In Illinois, the driver who caused the accident is responsible for paying damages. That means their insurance company should cover your medical bills, lost wages, pain and suffering, and property damage. Sounds simple, right? It's not.
Insurance companies will do everything possible to avoid paying what you deserve. They'll claim you were partially at fault. They'll argue your injuries aren't as serious as you say. They'll pressure you to settle fast before you know the full extent of your damages.
That's where I come in.
Don't want to freak you out, but you should know what to look for.
Injuries. Bruises, cuts, broken bones. Especially if their explanation sounds like bullshit or keeps changing. Losing weight fast. Looking dehydrated. Any bedsores.
Dirty. Your mom looks like she hasn't had a bath in a week. Room smells bad. Same clothes on every time you visit. Hair's a mess.
Acting Different. Used to be happy, now they're scared. Won't talk when certain staff are around. Jumpy. Depressed when you mention the nursing home.
The Facility. They're always short-staffed. Nobody answers call buttons. Residents just sitting there with nobody checking on them. Different staff every time you visit—high turnover.
Staff Acting Weird. They don't want you visiting. They're defensive when you ask questions. They don't want you alone with your loved one. Can't give you straight answers about how someone got hurt.
Trust yourself. If it feels wrong, it is wrong.
You call me. We talk. Free. You tell me what's going on. I ask some questions. I tell you if I think you've got a case.
You hire me, I go to work.
Medical records from the nursing home and hospitals. Their staffing records—because most of this comes down to not having enough people working. I talk to witnesses. I look at the place myself if I need to. I bring in medical experts who can say exactly where they screwed up.
I know the Illinois nursing home laws. The Nursing Home Care Act. How to prove they were negligent. How to prove willful and wanton conduct—that's when you can get punitive damages on top of everything else.
And I've been dealing with these corporate defense lawyers for 20 years. They don't scare me. I know their tricks.
Medical bills from fixing what they did. Pain and suffering. Emotional distress. Cost of moving somewhere better. Punitive damages if they really fucked up. Wrongful death if your loved one died.
I don't settle cheap. I know what these are worth.
Find Out What YOUR Case Might Be Worth...for free.
Call me at 11 PM on a Saturday. I'll answer. Try that with most lawyers.
My dad got hurt when I was a kid. His case took 17 years. His own lawyer sued him at the end. I watched it destroy my family.
That's why I became a lawyer. To not be like that. To treat people right.
Gerry Spence's Trial Lawyer's College. "The Edge" program. Not one in 10,000 lawyers has that training.
Matters because if we can't settle, I'll take it to trial. Insurance companies know that about me. Changes how they deal with me.
No money upfront. Nothing out of pocket.
I only get paid if you get paid. We lose? You owe me zero.
We talk. Free. I tell you if there's a case.
I investigate. Records, witnesses, experts.
I demand money. Sometimes they pay. Sometimes they don't.
I sue. Cook County. They get their lawyers. We do depositions and all that.
Settlement or trial. Most settle. Some go to trial. I've done over 30 jury trials. Courtrooms don't scare me.
Can't tell you without knowing your case.
Could be $100,000. Could be $500,000. Could be more.
Depends how bad it was and how good the evidence is.
Document everything. Photos. Dates. Names. Write it down.
Get them out if it's bad. Move them.
Report it. File with the state.
Don't talk to the facility yourself. Let me do it.
Call me. (312) 500-4500.
Yeah. Dementia patients get abused the most because they can't fight back. I can prove it without them testifying.
They always say that. That's why we investigate.
Two years. But don't wait. Evidence disappears.
It's illegal. If they try, we sue for that too. Most people move their loved one anyway.
You can afford me. No money upfront. No fee unless we win.
Don't sign anything without calling me first.
Hiring Scott was one of the best moves I have made in my life. Scott is a down to earth person and attorney. Scott is a 5 star first class act who really knows his stuff. The Judge said his presentation was one of if not the best he had ever seen. Take my advice, hire Scott I’m sure you’ll be 200% satisfied I was.
Scott not only cares about the case, but he truly cares about his clients and that makes him the best lawyer I have ever met and hired! He won my case! He is thorough in everything he does. I highly recommend Scott, and will always refer him to family and friends.
I hired Scott DeSalvo upon a friend’s recommendation. His office kept me informed of developments as they happened, and I felt the settlement reached was fair considering my injuries. I would highly recommend Scott DeSalvo to represent your personal injury case.
Our main office is in Oak Brook at 1000 Jorie Boulevard and our Chicago office is located down the street from the Daley Center courthouse as well as the Workers Compensation Commission. But I take cases all over Elmwood Park, Melrose Park, River Grove, Franklin Park, wherever.
We can meet at my office, your house, coffee shop—I don't care.
This happens in Elmwood Park. It's real.
It's not your fault.
You can sue them. You can get paid. You can stop it from happening to someone else.
But you gotta call me. Don't wait.
(312) 500-4500. Day, night, whenever.
No money upfront. No fee till we win.
Your fight is my fight.
Call now. (312) 500-4500.
Main Office:
1000 Jorie Blvd Ste 204
Oak Brook, IL 60523
New Cases: 312-500-4500
Office: 1 312-895-0545
Fax: 1 866-629-1817
service@desalvolaw.com
Chicago and Other Suburban Offices
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