Montgomery County Bed Sore Injury Lawyers
Trusted Pennsylvania Lawyers Advocate Vigorously for Nursing Home Residents Harmed by Bed Sore Injuries in Montgomery County and Bucks County, PA
Bed sore injuries in nursing home residents—also known as pressure ulcers—are injuries that are entirely preventable with proper monitoring and care, but yet are unfortunately common. Most bed sore injuries result from situations where the nursing home staff either neglects their legal duty to provide adequate care or is improperly trained so that they may not even realize that the risk of developing bed sores exists. Bed sore injuries result from immobility, so by definition tend to develop when a patient is in the vulnerable situation of being unable to move independently. Importantly, some nursing home residents who suffer from severe bed sore injuries may not even be able to report that they feel pain because the pain sensors in the skin have been so severely diminished.
Loved One Suffered From A Bed Sore Injury And Have Questions? We Can Help, Tell Us What Happened.
At Rubin, Glickman, Steinberg & Gifford P.C., our experienced lawyers have over six decades of collective experience helping injured parties recover the financial compensation that they deserve when someone else’s neglect caused the injury. We are committed to providing compassionate and strong legal advocacy for all of our clients who have been harmed through nursing home abuse and neglect. Call or contact our offices today at 215-822-7575 to see how we can put our experience to work for you.
Bed Sore Injuries Progress Through Four Stages of Severity
Bed sore injuries that remain untreated can progress from a relatively mild irritation into a very serious condition. In general, bed sores progress through four stages of severity, with stage one being the mildest and stage four the most serious, as follows:
- Stage one. Stage one bed sore injuries result in some pain and redness, but no open wounds, and are identifiable primarily when a finger is pushed into the reddened area, no white spot appears. This stage of bed sore can be easily treated by avoiding additional pressure on the sore and using soap and water to keep the area clean, but dried afterwards.
- Stage two. In stage two bed sores, the skin breaks open to form the pressure ulcer and usually looks like a blister filled with fluid or a small crater in the skin. Saline solution and debriding the tissue is the most common treatment plan at this stage, where the bed sore can still take weeks to heal.
- Stage three. Stage three bed sores progress deeper into the layers of the skin and the visible crater may have dead and fatty tissue inside, which should be debrided and may require surgery to treat.
- Stage four. Stage four bed sores impact the skin, muscle tissue and even the bones and can lead to permanent damage to the tendons and connective tissue. Surgery is usually required to treat stage four injuries, which cannot be exposed to any pressure for an extended period of time in order to heal.
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Bed Sore Injuries Can Cause Severe Medical Complications For Nursing Home Residents
When bed sore injuries are not properly and promptly treated, they are likely to progress in severity and lead to much more severe medical complications, including:
- Bone infections,
- Joint infections,
- Cellulitis (a skin infection),
- Amputations,
- Gangrene,
- Sepsis,
- Organ failure,
- Death.
Skilled Injury Lawyers Fight to Obtain Full Compensation for Victims of Nursing Home Bed Sore Injuries in PA
At Rubin, Glickman, Steinberg & Gifford P.C., our experienced and compassionate team of personal injury lawyers are dedicated to fight to obtain full and fair compensation for bed sore injuries and other injuries that result from nursing home abuse and neglect. A lawsuit to obtain compensation for bed sore injuries will usually proceed upon a negligence theory that the nursing home owed a duty of care to the resident and breached that duty by failing to take steps to prevent the bed sores, thereby causing the resident to suffer harm.
While the facts of every case will vary, we will look for evidence to support arguments that the nursing home:
- Failed to assess the resident for bed sores,
- Failed to take steps to prevent the bed sores, such as rotating a patient who is confined to bed,
- Disobeyed a doctor’s medical orders with respect to either prevention or treatment of bed sores,
- Did not create a policy designed to alert nursing home staff of the need to monitor for bed sores and take action to prevent them,
- Had a plan in place to prevent and treat bed sores, but negligently failed to adhere to that plan.
Schedule a Free Consultation to Discuss Options for Recovering Financial Compensation for Bed Sore Injuries Sustained in Pennsylvania Nursing Homes
If your loved one suffered from bed sores while residing in a nursing home, it’s important to remember that these injuries are 100 percent preventable. The formation or worsening of bed sores generally happens because your loved one received negligent care. Our skilled lawyers are committed to making sure you get the compensation you deserve to hold those negligent caregivers responsible. We provide all potential clients with a free initial consultation where we will listen to your story and explain options for proceeding with your case. Call us today or contact us online to schedule your consultation.
Frequently Asked Questions About Nursing Home Bed Sore Injury Claims
The nursing home should have a plan in place to regularly check patients who are assessed to be at risk for developing bed sores. These residents should be regularly moved by nursing home staff and also regularly monitored to ensure that no bed sores have developed. If the resident already has bed sores, the nursing home has a duty to prevent them from getting worse by positioning the resident to avoid pressure on the existing bed sores. The nursing home should also obey all doctor’s orders with respect to treatment options designed to help existing bed sores heal.
The expense of treating a bed sore injury will depend upon how far the injury was allowed to progress. While it’s common to suffer from small sores on the body, bed sore injuries are actually a much more serious and complicated injury than a typical sore that might be treated with topical ointment. Some bed sores can cost over $100,000 to treat, can result in serious additional complications, significant pain and even death. The overall financial recovery will depend upon the severity of the bed sore, as well as any additional infections or complications that must be treated.
