Can You Sue a Nursing Home for Bed Sores?
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Can You Sue a Nursing Home for Bed Sores?
Many people trust nursing homes to provide their elderly family members with reliable and compassionate care. Unfortunately, nursing home abuse and neglect is incredibly common in the United States.
When a nursing home or caregiver betrays a family’s trust, it can be incredibly emotionally challenging. Victims of nursing home abuse and neglect deserve justice.
If a family member suffers from wounds caused by immobility, you may wonder, “Can you sue a nursing home for bed sores?” Below, we will examine many of the important issues related to nursing home neglect claims.
Fortunately, awareness of nursing home abuse and neglect is growing. Families should not have to worry that their loved ones are being mistreated when they are under the care of nursing home professionals.
If your family is concerned about the possibility of nursing home neglect, reach out to a knowledgeable legal professional. Families have legal recourse following incidents of nursing home abuse.
The accomplished personal injury attorneys at Morgan & Morgan have decades of experience successfully fighting for our clients. We know how stressful it can be when your loved one was treated poorly.
Let our skilled legal team recover financial compensation for the harms and losses your family has sustained. To schedule a no-cost legal consultation, complete the simple contact form on our firm’s website.
What Are Bed Sores?
Although most people have heard of “bed sores,” many do not understand what causes them. This type of injury is caused by prolonged pressure to a specific area of the body.
When someone lays down in the same position for too long, they are at risk of developing bed sores. These sores are also called “pressure ulcers.”
Victims of bed sores often sustain damage to the tissue below the skin because there is ongoing pressure on a specific spot on their body.
Especially for older people, bed sores may develop relatively quickly. This is because many elderly individuals have issues with mobility and range of movement.
When someone is confined to a bed for most of their day, the risk of bed sores increases drastically. Bed sores are categorized based on their level of severity.
The grade classifications of bed sores are as follows:
- Grade I – Discoloration of skin (blue, purple, red, or black)
- Grade II – Top layer skin loss or damage
- Grade III – Damage or necrosis of upper layers of skin
- Grade IV – Damage or necrosis to joints, bones, or tendons
The more neglect that a nursing home resident experiences, the higher the risk of serious bed sores. Higher grades of bed sores can result in severe medical complications.
Bed sores can present many different physical symptoms. Some of the most common symptoms of bed sores are:
- Changes in skin color
- Texture changes in skin
- Temperature swings and changes
- Swelling and tenderness
- Breaking of skin
- Open wounds or pus
- Other signs of infection
It is important for nursing home staff and administrators to ensure that their residents receive adequate care. When they fail to do so, the victim and their family can pursue financial compensation.
If someone you love has suffered from bed sores as the result of negligence, you may wonder, “How can you sue a nursing home for bed sores?” Reach out to the skilled legal experts at Morgan & Morgan to pursue financial recovery for the harms and losses that you have suffered.
Potential Complications of Bed Sores
Many people believe that bed sores only cause discomfort or minor pain. This is a misunderstanding.
Actually, bed sores can result in significant harm to individuals when they are left untreated. Older people typically have thinner and more delicate skin than younger individuals.
Because of this, they are more susceptible to bed sores and the complications that can arise from them. Some of the most common complications from bed sores include:
- Bacteria in the person’s blood stream (sepsis)
- Tissue inflammation, resulting in redness and swelling
- Infections of the bones or joints
- Pus buildup (abscess)
- Certain types of cancer–such as squamous cell carcinoma
Victims of nursing home abuse may be able to seek compensation for any of the damages that they sustained. When bodily tissue does not receive adequate blood flow, those areas of the body can become damaged.
Seek medical attention as soon as possible if you or someone you care about has shown signs of bed sores.
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How Do You Prevent Bed Sores?
Bed sores can happen on almost any area of the body. However, some parts of the body are more susceptible than others to this type of injury. Bed sores often occur on the patient’s:
- Tailbone, hips, or buttocks area
- Feet and heels
- Shoulder blades
- Sides and backs of the knees
- Head and neck
With all these possible areas of damage, it is vital for nursing home staff to provide adequate care and attention. Patients should be monitored for bed sores.
This is especially true for those nursing home residents who are unable to move easily. In many cases, elderly individuals should be moved by staff in order to prevent sores from developing.
Protecting patients from bed sores involves the following tactics:- Repositioning and turning the patient every few hours
- The patient sitting straight and upright
- Using padding and soft surfaces to cover beds and wheelchairs
- Keeping skin dry and regularly cleaned
Adequate nutrition is also a crucial part of preventing bed sores. Bed sore patients need to receive proper:
- Vitamins
- Minerals
- Fluids
- Protein
Nutrition is an important aspect of treating bed sores. If you or someone you love has not been given proper nutrition in the context of a nursing home, reach out to a skilled personal injury attorney.
Lowering a patient’s bodily weight can also help to relieve the pressure from bed sores. If possible, patients with bed sores should engage in healthy levels of physical activity.
Movement can help to alleviate the symptoms and byproducts of bed sores. Consult with a physician before engaging in strenuous physical activity.
The accomplished attorneys at Morgan & Morgan know how to recover compensation for nursing home abuse victims. It is important to hold negligent nursing homes accountable for how they treat residents. -
How Can You Sue a Nursing Home for Bed Sores?
If you believe that you have a valid nursing home negligence case, you might wonder, “How can you sue a nursing home for bed sores?” It is critical to speak with a knowledgeable nursing home abuse lawyer.
A skilled professional will review the circumstances of your case and help you determine the best course of legal action. One important step in any nursing home-related case is gathering relevant evidence.
Some of the most common examples of evidence in nursing home neglect cases are:- Documents describing the home’s training and hiring practices
- Evidence that the facility does not have enough employees
- Testimony from other residents who experienced abuse or neglect
- The medical records of the bed sore victim
- Security camera footage showing instances of neglect or abuse
- And more
A knowledgeable lawyer will collect relevant documents and other types of evidence. When you are wondering, “Can you sue a nursing home for bed sores in a case like mine?” contact the firm at Morgan & Morgan.
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Common Damages in Nursing Home Bed Sore Cases
The payments made to nursing home abuse victims following a legal claim are known as “damages.” If you or someone you love has suffered from bed sores as the result of abuse, you may be able to claim many different types of damages.
An accomplished attorney will review the facts of your case and help you calculate the value of your claim. Victims and their families can claim both economic and non-economic damages.
Economic damages are intended to make victims financially whole. Non-economic damages are meant to compensate claimants for the intangible losses that result from their injuries.
Typical examples of damages in these cases include:- Current and past medical bills and costs
- Anticipated future medical expenses
- Physical pain and suffering
- Emotional trauma and distress
- Inability to engage in daily activities
- Loss of enjoyment of life
- And more
Any type of objectively verifiable losses can be claimed through a nursing home neglect lawsuit. For help filing a nursing home neglect lawsuit, reach out to America’s largest personal injury firm–Morgan & Morgan.
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What Are the Most Common Risk Factors for Bed Sores?
Those with certain risk factors are more likely to experience bed sores. While age is a crucial risk factor, others are also relevant.
Other common risk factors for bed sores include:- Paralysis and immobility due to injury or illness
- Physical restrictions where the patient must sit or lie down
- Inability to respond to physical discomfort–such as nerve damage
- Fecal and urinary incontinence and exposure to personal waste
- Immobility caused by obesity
- Certain blood circulation conditions
- Smoking and tobacco use
If any of these risk factors apply to you, it is vital to take steps to prevent the development of sores.
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Is Trial Experience Important When Hiring a Nursing Home Negligence Attorney?
For any tort case, it is critical to hire an attorney with plenty of experience in the courtroom. Most personal injury cases do not result in a trial.
Instead, the majority of claims are settled without the need for litigation. However, sometimes negotiations fail. Whether an insurance provider delays or denies your claim or the nursing home is unwilling to negotiate, this may happen.
When this happens, your attorney may decide to file a lawsuit on your behalf. You should never have to worry that your legal representative cannot handle the pressure of a trial.
At Morgan & Morgan, we have more than 1,000 attorneys with years of courtroom experience. We will pursue your case as far as is necessary. -
Morgan & Morgan’s Nursing Home Abuse Attorneys
If you or someone you love has sustained bed sores as the result of caretaker neglect, do not wait. The skilled legal experts at Morgan & Morgan know what it takes to get justice for nursing home neglect victims and their families.
In our firm’s decades-long history, our legal professionals have secured more than $20 billion dollars in damages for our clients. We will fight tirelessly to get the money that you deserve.
To schedule a free no-obligation consultation, complete the contact form on our firm’s website today.