Residents of long-term care facilities deserve care, compassion, and respect. If your loved one has developed bed sores or pressure ulcers due to neglect, a Georgia nursing home abuse lawyer can help you hold the at-fault parties accountable.
Schenk Firm has won millions of dollars for clients like you. If your loved one developed bedsores because of inadequate nursing home care, a nursing home bedsores lawyer in Georgia can help you file a claim and pursue compensation.
How a Georgia Nursing Home Bedsores Lawyer Can Help
All kinds of challenges can arise in a nursing home neglect case.
A Georgia nursing home bedsores lawyer can help with your case by:
- Reviewing medical records: We can examine medical documentation, care plans, treatment notes, and other records to identify signs of neglect or inadequate care.
- Investigating nursing home practices: We can look into staffing levels, employee training, and facility policies to determine whether proper procedures were followed.
- Gathering evidence of neglect: We can collect photographs, witness statements, inspection reports, and other evidence showing how your loved one’s injuries developed.
- Negotiating a settlement: We can communicate with the nursing home’s insurance company and legal representatives and work to secure a fair settlement.
- Representing you in court: If your case proceeds to trial, we can handle the litigation process and advocate for your family before a judge or jury.
How Much Can You Sue a Nursing Home For?
The amount you can sue a nursing home for depends on several factors, including the severity of the bedsores, the cost of your loved one’s medical treatment, the impact of the injuries on their life, and whether the nursing home’s actions were especially harmful.
Some bedsore cases involve relatively minor injuries, while others involve deep wounds, infections, hospitalization, surgery, or even wrongful death. As such, settlements can range from tens of thousands to millions of dollars.
A nursing home bedsores attorney in Georgia can review the details of your case and estimate the value of a potential claim.
Georgia Nursing Home Bedsores Lawyer Near Me (678) 823-7678
What Types of Compensation Are Available?
While the specific damages available in your nursing home abuse claim will depend on the losses you and your family have suffered, potential damages include:
- Medical expenses: You can receive compensation for emergency medical services, doctor appointments, surgeries, antibiotics, and other care needed to address the bedsores.
- Pain and suffering: You can recover damages for the physical effects of the bedsores, as well as emotional distress and reduced quality of life.
- Disability or loss of enjoyment of life: You can seek additional compensation if the bedsores caused permanent limitations or prevented your loved one from participating in activities they previously enjoyed.
- Relocation costs: If suspected neglect or abuse made you fear for your loved one’s safety, you may recover compensation for moving them to another facility.
- Wrongful death: If bedsores led to the loss of your loved one, then you may be able to recover compensation for funeral and burial expenses, end-of-life medical care, and other related losses.
- Punitive damages: You may be able to seek additional damages if the nursing home is guilty of extreme negligence, fraud, or intentional misconduct.
How Long Do You Have to File a Lawsuit in Georgia?
In Georgia, you generally have two years from the date your loved one suffered an injury (or the date you discovered it) to file a personal injury lawsuit for nursing home neglect or abuse. Missing this deadline may bar you from recovering compensation.
Different deadlines can apply to cases involving government entities, medical malpractice, or the delayed discovery of injuries, which is why it’s important to get legal help as soon as you suspect neglect or abuse.
Who Is Liable for Bedsores in a Nursing Home?
Multiple individuals or organizations can be held liable for a long-term care facility resident’s bedsores, depending on what caused them.
Parties that may be responsible include:
- The nursing home facility: The facility may be liable if it failed to provide proper staffing, training, supervision, or medical care.
- Nursing staff: Nurses and caregivers may be responsible if they failed to reposition residents, monitor wounds, provide treatment, or follow care plans.
- Administrators: Facility administrators may be liable if they ignored safety problems, understaffing issues, or repeated complaints about poor care.
- Healthcare providers: Doctors or other medical professionals may share responsibility if they failed to diagnose or treat developing bedsores appropriately.
How Do You Prove Negligence?
To succeed in a nursing home abuse lawsuit, you generally must show that the facility or its caregivers failed to provide appropriate care and that this failure caused your family member’s injuries.
Evidence that may help you prove negligence can include:
- Medical records: Documentation of worsening wounds, missed treatments, or delayed care may show that your relative’s condition was not properly managed.
- Care plans: Nursing homes create care plans outlining a resident’s needs. Failure to follow these plans may indicate neglect.
- Photographs of injuries: Images showing the progression or severity of your loved one’s bedsores can serve as important evidence.
- Witness testimony: Statements from family members, other residents, or employees may help explain what happened.
- Staffing records: Evidence of inadequate staffing or poor supervision may support a claim that the facility failed to provide proper care.
- Expert testimony: Medical experts can explain whether proper care could have prevented the injuries.
What If the Resident Dies?
Severe pressure ulcers can lead to serious infections, sepsis, and other life-threatening conditions. If your loved one dies because of complications related to preventable bedsores, you may be able to pursue a wrongful death claim.
Through this type of claim, you and your family can recover compensation for losses connected to your loved one’s death, including medical expenses, funeral costs, and the emotional impact of losing a loved one. You may also have a claim for the suffering your relative experienced before passing away.
What Are Bedsores?
Bedsores are injuries that develop when constant pressure reduces blood flow to areas of the body. Without enough circulation, the skin and underlying tissue can become damaged or die.
These injuries most commonly develop on the tailbone, hips, heels, ankles, shoulders, and elbows.
Bedsores are classified into stages based on their severity. Early-stage pressure injuries may appear as red or discolored skin, while advanced stages can involve deep wounds that expose muscle, tissue, or bone.
Common Signs of Bed Sores or Pressure Ulcers
A person with a bed sore will develop a patch of skin that is red, purple, or blue. The patch may also feel firm and cold or warm, and it may be tender or itchy. These signs usually accompany a pressure ulcer in Stage I.
In a Stage II pressure ulcer, the skin may blister or become an open abrasion or sore. The area around the sore may be discolored, usually purple or red. During Stage II, swelling and oozing may also develop. A Stage III pressure ulcer extends below the surface of the skin and is more of a crater. A Stage IV pressure ulcer extends even deeper, reaching to the bone, muscle, joint, or tendon.
When a bed sore becomes infected, a person may experience fever, and the skin around the bed sore may become tender, warm, and redder than before. The sore may start to drain pus and may smell foul. If your loved one exhibits any of these symptoms, it’s crucial that they receive medical attention right away.
Common Causes of Bedsores in Nursing Homes
Many residents of Georgia nursing homes are at risk of developing pressure sores because of limited mobility, medical conditions, or fragile skin. However, proper care can often prevent these injuries.
Common causes of nursing home bedsores include:
- Failure to reposition residents: Residents with limited mobility need regular movement to relieve pressure on vulnerable areas of the body.
- Inadequate skin care: Poor hygiene or failure to keep skin clean and dry can increase the risk of skin breakdown.
- Malnutrition and dehydration: Nursing home residents need proper nutrition and hydration to maintain healthy skin and support healing.
- Failure to monitor residents: Staff members must regularly check residents for early signs of pressure injuries.
- Delayed treatment: Ignoring early symptoms can allow minor wounds to become serious infections.
- Insufficient staffing: A nursing home with too few employees may struggle to provide residents with the attention and care they require.
What Should You Do If Your Loved One Develops Bedsores in a Nursing Home?
If your loved one develops pressure sores in an assisted living facility, the most important step is to ensure they receive proper medical attention.
Once you have done so, you should:
- Contact the Georgia Department of Community Health and file a complaint.
- File a police report (if you suspect physical abuse).
- Request your loved one’s official medical records from the nursing home.
- Take photos of any conditions that may have contributed to the medical issue, such as a dirty room or unchanged bedsheets.
- Relocate your loved one to somewhere safe.
- Contact our Georgia bedsore lawyer to learn about your legal options.
Get Help From a Nursing Home Bedsores Attorney in Georgia
If your loved one was injured due to a nursing home’s negligence, you have the right to take legal action. A Georgia nursing home bedsores attorney from Schenk Firm can investigate your case, gather evidence to prove neglect, and help you obtain the compensation you deserve.
Book a free consultation to find out how you can pursue justice for your loved one.
