Help People Relate to Your Law Firm Using Stories: Nursing Home Malpractice Example

Professional services, legal services in particular, lend themselves to storytelling. So it is a mystery to me why most purveyors shroud what they do in stilted language devoid of emotional content. Rather, the subject matter cries out for storytelling.

Rather than reciting the typical laundry list of capabilities, in this example we describe a legal specialty with a story. Read on:

After years of caring for her husband at home, our client Mrs. Williams sought nursing home care for her husband. She was reluctant at first, but as his dementia worsened and her own health declined, adequate care became impossible without help. Mrs. Williams visited homes and interviewed staff before finally selecting a home that seemed safe and clean. It was nearby, and she visited each day at lunchtime. Things seemed to be OK, for a while.


One day, Mrs. Williams received a call informing her that her husband had suffered a fracture in his left leg. The home said that he had been treated and was resting comfortably. With each visit, however, her husband seemed worse. One morning, Mrs. Williams arrived unusually early for her visit. Her husband’s room was unkempt. She smelled a foul odor, and then noticed a dark stain on his bed sheets.

Alarmed, she lifted the sheets to find maggots infesting several ulcers in her husband’s leg. He eventually lost his leg.

Despite what you may see on visiting day, sometimes a single nurse may be assigned to care for up to 40 patients at a time. Lack of care is a violation of strict state and federal regulations. Not only do neglect and substandard care deprive your loved ones of their dignity, but such actions can frequently cause physical injury as well. Understaffing may increase nursing home profits, but our loved ones pay the price.

The expert witnesses that are required to make a case may include gerontologists, nutritionists, nursing home administrators, and wound-care specialists – and can cost $25,000 to $50,000 or more. If we take your case, we pay for everything. Furthermore, we only receive payment for fees and expenses if we collect.

Mr. Williams will never get his leg back. But we obtained a settlement that helped him and his family to purchase a new home, and quality in-home care. Our elders, many of whom live in nursing homes, built this country. They deserve dignity in their later years, and we can help ensure that they get it.