Bedsores are preventable if nursing homes and their staff provide residents with the appropriate care. If bedsores develop or worsen because of negligence and poor care, nursing home facilities can be held responsible. The Savannah nursing home bedsore lawyers at Roden Law can help you determine if your loved one’s injury was caused by negligence and if he or she has a case against the facility. Filing a lawsuit against a negligent nursing home facility can help you recover compensation for the injuries and suffering your loved one has experienced.
Roden Law’s nursing home abuse attorneys in Savannah are dedicated to standing up for the rights of those who negligent facilities have harmed. Contact us today for a free, no obligation consultation. We do not get paid unless you get compensation.
Call 1-844-RESULTS now to schedule a free consultation.
Causes of Bedsores in Nursing Homes
Bedsores – also called decubitus ulcers, pressure ulcers or pressure sores – are injuries to the skin and underlying tissue caused by extended periods of pressure that limits blood flow to the skin. They most often develop on parts of the skin that are closest to the bone, such as:
- Heels
- Ankles
- Hips
- Buttocks
- Tailbone
- Spine
- Lower back
- Shoulder blades
- Elbows
Bedsores are most common in people who have limited mobility and are confined to a bed or chair and are unable to change their position on their own.
The primary contributing factors to this type of injury in nursing home residents include:
- Pressure – Constant pressure on any part of the body can limit the blood that flows to the tissues and skin. Blood flow is essential for delivering oxygen and nutrients to these areas. Without those nutrients, the skin and tissues can become damaged and eventually die.
- Friction – When a section of skin rubs against another surface over and over again, such as bedding or clothing, it causes friction. This makes the skin more vulnerable to injury, especially if the skin is damp.
- Shear – When two surfaces move in opposite directions it creates shear. In a nursing home, this can occur if a resident is pulled or dragged across a bed; instead residents should be picked up to be moved. It can also occur if a resident slides down a bed that has been raised too high at the head.
Other contributing factors for bedsores include:
- Immobility
- Malnutrition
- Dehydration
- Weight loss
- Poor circulation
- Moisture from perspiration, feces or urine
If your loved one developed a bedsore while in a nursing home, contact a reputable Savannah nursing home bedsore attorney to determine if your loved one has a case against the facility charged with his or her care.
Complete a Free Case Evaluation form to get started.
Are Pressure Ulcers a Sign of Neglect and Abuse?
Although bedsores are common in nursing homes among immobile residents, these sores can often be a sign of neglect or abuse. This is because nursing homes have a legal obligation to ensure residents are provided with the care they need to prevent harm.
Specifically, Title 42, Section 483.25(c) of the Code of Federal Regulations, which regulates skilled nursing facilities that accept Medicare and Medicaid funding, outlines how these facilities are to maintain skin integrity of residents and manage pressure ulcers.
The regulations state that based on the needs of a resident, the facility must ensure that the resident receives care that is consistent with professional standards of practice to prevent pressure ulcers. The resident should not develop pressure ulcers unless his or her clinical condition is such that a sore could not be prevented. If a resident develops a sore, he or she must receive the necessary treatment and services to prevent infection and new ulcers from forming.
If a facility or any of its staff fails to provide residents with care that meets these requirements, it can be held liable for the harm done to the resident. Some examples of when this may apply include situations where the facility or its staff failed to:
- Regularly reposition or relocate a resident to relieve pressure
- Use pressure-relieving devices like pillows or foam padding
- Ensure healthy blood circulation through skin massage and other methods
- Ensure the resident’s bedding, clothing and skin are clean and dry
- Regularly check on a resident and any signs of bedsores
- Increase attention and care for residents prone to lesions and ulcers
- Keep the resident hydrated and fed with nutrient-rich foods
- Provide immediate care and medical attention when a bedsore developed
If you believe your loved one developed a bedsore because his or her facility failed to provide proper care, you may have legal options for holding the facility responsible for the harm it has caused to your loved one. For a review of your claim and to find out if you have legal options, contact our Savannah nursing home bedsore attorneys for a free, no obligation consultation.
Call 1-844-RESULTS to find out if you have a case.
Filing a Bedsore Lawsuit in Georgia
Although nothing can change the pain and suffering your loved one has experienced because of a pressure sore, compensation from a bedsore lawsuit may bring some sense of justice and peace into his or her life.
However, holding a nursing home accountable for its negligence in causing harm to your loved one is not easy. The facility will have lawyers and other measures in place to try to fight your lawsuit to escape liability or reduce the compensation it has to pay.
For this reason, you should always have an experienced Savannah nursing home bedsore lawyer on your side to help ensure your loved one’s rights are protected. Our team has years of experience handling a variety of injury cases and standing up against corporations, their insurance carriers and their lawyers.
We will guide you through every step of the process and help you gather the evidence to support your claim, which may include:
- Photos of the pressure sores showing how they progressively worsened
- Medical records from the facility
- Documentation from the facility about the care that was provided to your loved one
- Information about any other accusations of abuse or neglect that have occurred at the facility
- Copies of inspection reports and information about citations, warnings or violations the facility has received
If you have not already reported the abuse or neglect, our team can also help make sure the proper authorities are notified.
Types of Compensation Available from a Lawsuit
Our Savannah nursing home bedsore lawyers will work with you to help you obtain maximized compensation for your claim. Depending on the circumstances of your loved one’s injury and condition, this may include compensation for:
- Medical bills
- Prescription medication
- Hospital bills
- Surgical procedures
- Physical pain and suffering
- Emotional distress
We are accomplished personal injury lawyers in Savannah who have recovered millions in verdicts and settlements for those who were harmed by another’s negligence. We will put that experience to work on your case.
Deadlines for Filing a Bedsore Lawsuit
You should contact our nursing home bedsore attorneys in Savannah as soon as possible to discuss your potential case, as there are strict deadlines that limit the amount of time you have to file a lawsuit.
These deadlines are called statutes of limitations, and in Georgia, the time limit for these types of cases is generally two years from the date of injury or from when you discovered the injury and realized that you may have grounds for a case.
The sooner you contact Roden Law, the sooner our nursing home bedsore lawyers in Savannah can determine the statute of limitations that applies to your case and the sooner we can begin investigating your situation.
Do not wait to contact Roden Law today.
Bedsore Stages
Bedsores are classified into four stages based on the severity of skin damage:
- Stage one – If an area of the skin has turned red, is painful to the touch and does not turn white when pressed, a pressure ulcer is forming. At this stage, the skin can be warm or cool and firm or soft as compared to the surrounding skin.
- Stage two – As the sore progresses, the skin will blister and form an open sore. Although a stage-two pressure ulcer may cause mild swelling and some oozing, the wound does not extend through the full thickness of the skin. The area around the sore may be red or purple.
- Stage three – At this stage, the sore deepens into the lower layers of the skin and underlying tissue, creating a crater.
- Stage four – In the final, most severe stage, the pressure ulcer becomes so deep that it causes damage to the muscle and bone, and maybe even the tendons and joints.
Because bedsores can be open wounds, they are very vulnerable to infection, including bone and joint infections.
If nursing homes are providing residents with the level of care required by regulators, bedsores should rarely advance past the early stages. However, nursing homes often do not provide residents with the care they need, and serious injuries can result.
When nursing home residents’ bedsores progress into advanced stages without the facility taking the proper steps to prevent the worsening of the condition, the facility can be held legally responsible.
If this has happened to your loved one, a reputable nursing home bedsore attorney in Savannah can help you fight for justice by holding the responsible parties liable for their negligence and abuse.
Learn more about your legal options by calling 1-844-RESULTS.
Contact a Savannah Nursing Home Bedsore Lawyer
With the help of a skilled nursing home bedsore lawyer in Savannah, you may be able to obtain justice and compensation for your loved one’s injuries and suffering. As active members of the Savannah Bar Association and other legal associations, we are staunch defenders of the law and those who have been harmed by others.
Do not wait to contact Roden Law to schedule a free, no obligation consultation to review your potential case. We handle nursing home abuse cases on a contingency fee basis and do not get paid unless we recover compensation for you.