William Eadie: Dedicated to Ending Nursing Home Abuse

Description

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