Abuse Victim Attorneys in Tucson, Arizona

From elder abuse to sexual abuse to police brutality, we have your back.

Our firm strongly believes that abuse victims have rights, especially when they've sustained a personal injury stemming from the mistreatment, mistakes, neglect, or negligence of others.

Whether it's elder abuse or neglect of senior citizens, a sexual abuse claim, or an abuse case involving law enforcement overreach or police brutality, the personal injury lawyers at Schmidt, Sethi & Akmajian are here to provide assistance to all abuse victims seeking financial compensation from their attacker and/or other parties whose negligence or mistreatment may have contributed to the assault.

The most common abuse categories that our Tucson personal injury attorneys specialize in include:

Elder Abuse

Financial abuse
Physical abuse
Sexual abuse
Malnutrition and dehydration
Caretaker neglect occurring in nursing homes, hospitals, hospice, and other facilities

Sexual Abuse

Sexual assault
Physical abuse
Emotional abuse

Police Misconduct

Physical abuse
Excessive force
Racial profiling

Our award-winning Tucson personal injury lawyers are committed to filing a lawsuit in civil court on behalf of our clients who have been victimized or abused in any way. The AZ Injury Law team are experts in a variety of abuse cases and our experienced attorneys can assist you with filing a claim in Tucson, Arizona and will fight for the highest possible damages in your case.

Injury Due to Elder Abuse

Schmidt, Sethi & Akmajian is dedicated to protecting the rights of elderly individuals in Arizona.

When being cared for in our twilight years, we should be given the most compassionate care and attention possible. Unfortunately, elder abuse and senior neglect is an alarming epidemic in the US and an appalling reality for too many victims in Arizona. Exploiting vulnerable elderly adults for financial gain is a far too common occurrence in today's society. And when healthcare workers and caretakers abuse elderly adults, it is also a crime.

If you or a loved one is suffering from suspected substandard medical care, abusive staff at a healthcare facility including administrators or maintenance, facility residents or visitors, or exploitation at the hands of family members or friends and acquaintances, you should consult with an expert who is trained and experienced in fighting for the rights of the elderly.

The AZ Injury Law team truly understands and cares about elder abuse and want to put a stop to the appalling conditions and lack of standard care present in many Arizona elder care facilities including:

Nursing Homes
Independent Living Communities
Assisted Living Facilities
Residential Care Homes
Adult Rehabilitation Facilities
Continuing Care Retirement Communities
Adult Day Cares
Alzheimer Facilities
Group Homes
Hospitals
Hospice
In-Home Care / Private Caregivers

Do you suspect that an elderly loved one is being abused or neglected at a nursing home, hospital, hospice, private care facility, or by a caretaker? If so, the state of Arizona allows you to pursue both criminal and civil legal action against the liable parties.

No law firm is more concerned with or dedicated to fighting for the rights of the elderly than our personal injury attorneys.

We have been representing injured clients and senior citizens for over 40 years and have recovered millions of dollars in financial compensation for them, either through negotiated settlements or trials in a court of law. Several of our AZ Injury Law team are AV Rated® by Martindale Hubbell®, the leader in attorney rating companies, and we have gained the respect of our peers and colleagues in the legal community for how we handle cases of elder abuse and neglect.

Injury & Damages Due to Sexual Abuse

Compassionate, caring legal counsel in Arizona for victims of sexual abuse and assault.

Many victims of sexual abuse, rape or sexual assaults often believe that justice stops at the criminal trial of their attacker. Our firm strongly believes that victims have rights since they have in fact sustained a personal injury in one way or another. As such, the personal injury attorneys at Schmidt, Sethi & Akmajian are committed to filing a lawsuit in civil court on behalf of our clients who have been victimized.

By definition, a sexual assault, repeated sexual abuse or rape are intentional, willful and malicious. Beyond just criminal charges, this renders the attacker potentially liable for punitive damages intended to punish and deter bad behavior. Attackers need to know that their behavior extends past the criminal repercussions and can make them the focus of a civil lawsuit.

Sexual assault victims may be able to collect damages for both physical and emotional (mental) injuries that have occurred as the result of the assault, including:

Head injuries
Neck injuries
Spinal cord injuries
Broken bones
Burn injuries
Cuts, bruises or contusions
Internal organ trauma
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
Fears and anxiety
Damage to existing relationships
Sprains or fractures
Loss of consciousness
Confusion grogginess from overmedication on prescription or illegal drugs
Ligature marks and rope burns from being tied down

Injury & Damages Due to Police Misconduct or Excessive Force

We help uphold your legal rights in cases of law enforcement overreach.

Arizona police officers and area law enforcement are duty-bound to protect the public, not abuse or mistreat those they're sworn to serve. Most police do their best to protect the public and balance their safety with the rights of the people they question and those they suspect of crimes, but when they fail to follow the laws, protect the public, or adhere to respected police procedures, police misconduct may occur.

Our experienced Tucson, Arizona personal injuries respect local law enforcement but work diligently to hold police officers, Department of Corrections officers, border patrol - and the agencies, towns, counties, and governments they work for - accountable when their officers cross the line or cause harm.

Though their duties often require them to work in dangerous situations and police do need to use appropriate force sometimes to apprehend wrongdoers, a legal and logical balance must be struck. There is a fundamental principle in law that people are innocent until proven guilty, as such Arizona police officers:

Can not use excessive force (shooting, beating, assaulting a victim, police dog)
Can not falsely arrest someone without probable cause
Can not arrest everyone they see
Can not plant evidence on someone
Can not arrest someone or profile them simply due to race
Can not conduct unauthorized searches and seizures
Must respect your rights of due process, constitutional rights, etc.
Must comply with local, state and federal laws
Must work for every citizen

The experienced team of personal injury attorneys at AZ Injury Law demand that law enforcement officers and those who employ them do not abuse their authority, follow the law at all times, and honor the rights of everyone they come into contact with.

Our clients come first and when victimized, we demand that law enforcement officers and their organizations pay damages for your physical harm, pain and suffering from any injuries, and lost wages as well as punitive damages and any other damages the laws allow.

While we respect the hard work law enforcement does and support our men and women in uniform, Schmidt, Sethi & Akmajian will continue to aggressively work to hold them accountable when they cross any legal lines.

Common Signs of Abuse, Mistreatment and Neglect

Not all abuse or neglect is obvious. Protecting your loved ones from harm requires vigilance and you may need to pay close attention to what they say, how they act, and how they feel around certain staff members to identify if there is an abuse issue.

It is entirely possible that your loved one's injury was purely accidental and not a result of someone else's negligence, a person's mistake or mistreatment, or through a healthcare facility neglecting them. However, there are common signs of abuse and neglect you will want to be aware of, including:

Sudden, unexplained scrapes and bruises
Bedding or clothing that is soiled or appears unchanged
Depression
Anxiety
Irritability
Mood swings
Poor hygiene
Bedsores
Infections
Dehydration
Malnutrition
Strange financial transactions
Fear of certain staff members
Staff members that refuse to leave the room when you visit

If you notice any signs of abuse, neglect, or exploitation at your loved one's care facility, immediate action must be taken to hold the abusers responsible. Don't hesitate to contact the authorities, file a complaint, and start gathering evidence of wrongdoing. Those responsible should be held accountable and the AZ Injury Law team will help you fight for your rights.

Types of Nursing Home Abuse and Neglect

Nursing home abuse can happen at even the nicest Tucson area nursing homes. Sadly, studies have shown that for every one case of elder abuse reported, there are 24 unknown cases. There are many types of abuse that may occur in nursing homes, adult day cares, and similar elder care facilities. Here are the warning signs to look for:

Emotional Abuse

Warning signs include changes in personality or behavior, withdrawal, depression, nervousness, scared of staff, or frequent arguments or tension between the patient and the caregiver.

Physical Abuse

Warning signs include unexplained cuts, sprains, fractures, bruises, or any signs of being restrained or confined, or the patient being kept in an over-medicated or under-medicated state.

Sexual Abuse

Warning signs include changes in personality or behavior, unexplained genital infections or venereal disease; torn or bloody underclothing; and vaginal or anal bleeding.

Financial Abuse

Warning signs include sudden, large back withdrawals; changes in regular banking habits; abrupt changes in financial documents, and unexplained disappearance of personal or valuable possessions.

Neglect

Warning signs include drastic weight loss, malnutrition, dehydration, bedsores; staff delaying or refusing to allow visitors to see the elderly person or preventing them from being alone with visitors.

Wrongful Death

In these cases, residents or patients cannot tell anyone about the abuse and so, sadly, it continues on until a wrongful death occurs from the ongoing neglect, mistreatment and negligence.

The AZ Injury Law Team in Tucson, Arizona is comprised of award-winning personal injury attorneys with aggressive litigation skills and a proven track record of recovering the maximum amount of damages for our clients. We take pride in providing top notch legal representation to honest people with honest claims. If you need an expert to fight for you, contact us today.

Types of Sexual Abuse and Assault

Too often, the perpetrators of sexual abuse and assault are frequently people in positions of trust – teachers, coaches, the clergy, counselors, bosses/supervisors, police officers, and others. These people and institutions responsible for them should pay when they violate this trust. Some of the many types of sexual abuse cases we handle include:

Sexual abuse of the elderly

When sexual abuse or assault of the elderly occurs at a nursing home, we bring claims against the staff member, administrator, resident, or guest who commits the sexual abuse as well a lawsuit against the nursing home or healthcare facility for their negligence.

Sexual abuse from schools, teachers, and coaches

Students and parents naturally trust teachers, administrators, coaches, counselors, and extra-curricular instructors to have their best interests at heart. When this trust is misplaced, we seek to hold the wrongdoers, the school, and the school district responsible.

Sexual abuse by members of the clergy

Sadly, cases of abuse by church leaders and religious officials can have life-altering, long-term emotional and physical effects, especially when children are involved. Our team will hold these clergy members and their organization accountable for the harm they've caused.

Sexual abuse in the workplace

Employers, supervisors, co-workers, and other people in positions of power sometimes think they have the right to demand sexual favors from employees or customers. These victims of sexual abuse can bring injury claims against the wrongdoers and hold them liable.

Sexual abuse from law enforcement

Whether you've been detained by the police, are under investigation, or have been taken into custody, you still have rights. The rule of law applies to all people, including those who enforce it. Civilians and public servants alike must always be held accountable to it.

If you or a loved one has experienced any kind of abuse - elder abuse, sexual abuse, police abuse or any mistreatment, neglect due, or wrongful death - from a nursing home injury, under medical care, or while in police custody, call the experienced, capable team of personal injury attorneys at Schmidt, Sethi & Akmajian. We are here for you and happy to help.

Abuse Case Blogs, Articles, and Helpful Info

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Examples of Our Firm's Abuse Case Victories

Our Tucson, Arizona injury lawyers offer assistance for a variety of personal injury, abuse claims, and wrongful death cases for our valued clients.

CLICK HERE for your free consultation or call our award-winning attorneys at (520) 790-5600.