Holding Nursing Homes Accountable for Injuries

Unfortunately, nearly every day we read accounts in the newspaper regarding negligent care in nursing homes around the country that have resulted in injury. Some negligence has even resulted in the deaths of nursing home residents. Although family members who have lost a loved one in a nursing home may think that it was unavoidable, all too often,  injuries in nursing homes occur because of neglect. Families who later become aware that neglect played a role in their loved ones injury often want to hold nursing homes accountable for injuries to stop it from happening again.

A lawsuit claiming that a nursing homes staff’s negligence caused the death of a women is playing out in Kansas demonstrating how quickly things can go wrong for elderly residents. The lawsuit alleges that the resident, an elderly woman of 88, injured her leg on the foot pedal of a wheelchair, resulting in an injury that continued to worsen despite the administering of antibiotics. When the family asked to have their loved one transferred to a wound care facility for treatment sooner than the scheduled date, they were refused and eventually the woman was admitted to a hospital where she deteriorated quickly – all for what started out as a bruise. The lawsuit claims that staff negligence caused the death of the resident and the plaintiffs are asking for a jury trial and tens of thousands in compensation to right the wrong.

In yet another case out of Virginia, a lawsuit is ongoing regarding a man who developed life threatening bedsores months after being admitted to a nursing home. Bedsores are areas of skin that become damaged when a person stays in a position for too long and typically form in higher pressure areas where bones are closer to the skin, such as at the ankles, back, elbows, heels and hips. They can be prevented by keeping skin dry and clean, changing positions regularly and relieving pressure, but if they are allowed to set up and go untreated, they can cause life-threatening infections.  In the suit, attorneys for the family allege the decedent sustained injury and/or death as a direct result of the defendants’ negligence and are asking for 3 million in compensation, which, if awarded, will likely result in changes at the facility.

Family members who have had a loved one suffer from an injury that occurred in a nursing home may be unaware that there may not have been adequate staff on hand, that there may have been hazards that were not addressed, that training was non-existent, or that protocols were ignored that resulted in the injury. If your family member is injured at a nursing home facility it is always a good idea to discuss your concerns with an experienced nursing home injury attorney who can determine if negligence was a factor. The best way to check nursing homes guilty of abuse and neglect is to hold them accountable so that they will change their practices and provide the care elderly residents really need. Contact the Iowa nursing home injury, elder abuse and neglect attorneys of Hemminger Law Firm for help at 515-283-2116.