Assisted Living Facility to Pay $12.5 Million for Severe Bedsore Injury
A Florida jury awarded $12.5 million in damages to the grieving family of a woman who died while under the care of an assisted living facility. Bedsore lawsuits generally do not involve allegations of wrongful death. But in this case, the bed sores were so bad that they had eaten completely through the plaintiff’s skin and exposed bare bone. The bedsore caused a fatal bloodstream infection which was completely avoidable but for the negligent standard of care the patient received in this facility. Ultimately, the jury saw fit to hold the company accountable to the tune of $12.5 million.
The facts of the case
The decedent was 59 when she was admitted into a memory care facility for Alzheimer’s disease. She was in good physical health when she was admitted to the facility. In concert with her doctors, her daughter made the decision to admit her mother to the memory care facility for her own wellbeing and safety and so that she could get the round-the-clock care that she deserved. The facility was conveniently located near her place of work which allowed her to visit her mother on a daily basis.
The mother had not been at the memory care facility for more than two months when she began developing bedsores and eventually pneumonia that required medical care. She developed one bedsore on her back that was so deep that it exposed bone. The decedent died of sepsis mere days after being admitted to the hospital.
Bedsore injuries in nursing homes
Bedsores are among the most common signs that a patient has been neglected or abused in a nursing home or assisted living setting. Bedsores are pressure ulcers which are caused when a patient is stationary for long periods of time. Bedsores generally take weeks to develop, so the allegation that this patient was the victim of medical neglect held sway for the jury.
Bedsores are a well-known and common condition. They generally are signs that the nursing home is understaffed or that the staff is inattentive to the needs of the patients. The most common cause of bedsores is the patient’s lack of mobility. In these cases, nursing staff should reposition the patient to avoid the development of bedsores. You don’t need a medical degree to understand how bedsores develop and how they can be avoided. Hence, why bedsores are generally a sign that the patient is being neglected.
Bedsores are rated on a four-point scale. Four is the worst form of bedsore you can develop and it was the type of bedsore that the plaintiff suffered from. A first-degree bedsore is generally treatable simply by moving the patient into a different position. Fourth-degree bedsores can cause blood poisoning as they did in the case mentioned above.
Talk to a Tampa, FL Nursing Home Negligence Lawyer Today
If you see signs of bedsores, it may be a good idea to contact an attorney. Your loved one may not be getting the proper care they deserve. Call our Tampa personal injury attorneys at Florin Gray today to schedule a free consultation and learn more about how we can help.
Source:
aboutlawsuits.com/assisted-living-bedsore-lawsuit-verdict/
