Tucson Nursing Home Bedsores Lawyer
A nursing home resident should never have to suffer through the pain and indignity of bedsores while under the care of a facility. If a loved one has been neglected and has developed painful bedsores, the nursing home negligence lawyers at Russo Law Firm can help your family bring the responsible parties to justice.
The development of bedsores on a patient is an immediate cause for concern and usually a sign of nursing home negligence. Bedsores, or pressure ulcers, are a widespread problem in nursing homes across America. They are a result of skin under pressure for too long. Unfortunately, if left untreated, they can become life-threatening injuries. Elderly patients at nursing homes that cannot move on their own or must remain in one position for long periods of time are more prone to bedsores.
Bedsores are entirely preventable, however. It is the nursing home’s responsibility and duty to ensure that a patient does not develop bedsores. These wounds have a significant impact on not only the patient but on their family as well. Bedsores are a sign of a systematic failure in the nursing home. Nurses unwilling to keep patients clean, regularly move patients, and use preventive cushions should be held responsible for the pain and suffering of a patient and their family.
At Russo Law Firm, our Tucson nursing home negligence lawyers are dedicated to holding nursing home facilities accountable for their poor quality of service. Your loved one is more than just a source of profit to these homes, and they should be treated as such. To us, your loved one is a human being who deserves proper support. We strive to ensure our clients receive appropriate care from nursing homes, and we will work hard to hold the facilities to that standard. Contact our office at (520) 529-1515 to get the care and support your loved one deserves.
Possible Causes of Bedsores
Bedsores are rarely caused naturally or by aging. Most of the time, they are the result of inadequate care and negligence from a caregiver. According to the Center for Disease Control, 10% of nursing home patients suffer from bedsores.
When constant pressure is applied to the same part of the body, especially in areas where there is little fat and only skin and bone, that area is deprived of oxygen. Typically, this deprivation will cause tissue damage within a few weeks. Bedsores often take weeks or months to become severe.
Unfortunately, noticing bad bedsores comes with the realization that you or your loved one have been suffering for any length of time. It means the nursing home has not repositioned the patient, given proper care, changed the bed sheets, and even more for weeks or months. Federal regulation provides that nursing homes must look for infections in patients and prevent any avoidable wounds. The longer the bedsores go unnoticed, the more severe they become. Bedsores can cause an infection and may even lead to death.
What to Do If You Suspect Nursing Home Negligence
If you think your loved one is experiencing negligence at a nursing home, don’t be afraid to question the staff. You deserve answers, and you deserve to know what is happening to your loved one. It is important to note that these nursing homes have a legal obligation to care for their patients. A breach of this duty could lead to a violation of the patient’s right. If the damages sustained by the patient are caused by the lack of proper care from the nursing home, you and your loved one are entitled to monetary compensation.
If the nursing home is dodging questions and not providing concrete answers, it may be time to approach a nursing home negligence lawyer. The qualified and understanding attorneys of Russo Law Firm will be able to thoroughly investigate the nursing home on your behalf and find answers to the questions that the staff dismissed. The sooner you know of the neglect, the quicker you can help your loved one. With our lawyers by your side, you can remove your loved one from a dangerous environment and help provide them with the quality of life they deserve. Let us protect your loved one’s rights.
What Kind of Damages Can be Recovered
Like most lawsuits, you can get compensation for whatever losses have resulted from the bedsores. In negligence cases, there are several options for damages. Here are a few options:
- Economic Damages: You are entitled to recover any out-of-pocket expenses that you or a loved one might experience because of bedsores. This includes past and future medical expenses. It also encompasses lost income and property damage if it is relevant to your case.
- Non-Economic Damages: Otherwise known as past and future pain and suffering. If bedsores cause a loss of quality of life, it is only fair that this reduction is compensated in court. Other things include any permanent change to you or loved one’s body (like scars or disfigurement) and disabilities.
- Punitive Damages: If the nursing home acted with complete disregard for the safety of the patient and was aware of the risk posed, then you might be entitled to receive punitive damages. The purpose is to deter others from treating patients negligently and to also further punish the nursing home for treating your loved one that way.
- Wrongful Death Damages: If your loved one has passed away due to complications with bedsores caused by the negligence of the nursing home staff, then various damages can be recovered. These damages include, but are not limited to, funeral expenses, pain and suffering your loved one experienced before passing, and damages from the loss of that person.
Economic damages are limited to those physically experienced and usually cannot be awarded for more than the total expenses. However, non-economic, punitive, and wrongful death damages do not have the same limitation.
Contact Us
The Tucson nursing home negligence lawyers at Russo Law Firm are committed to fighting for you and your loved one suffering from bedsores. It is unjustifiable that these nursing homes have allowed bedsores to occur because bedsores are almost entirely preventable with proper care. Legal action is required to ensure that your loved one gets the appropriate care, attention, and support that they deserve.
If your loved one has been suffering from neglect at a nursing home, don’t wait any longer. Contact Russo Law Firm today at (520) 529-1515 to find out what actions can be brought against those responsible for the neglect. We understand the mistreatment endured and will use our knowledge, skills, and resources to get you justice and compensation.
