Bed sores are one of the most pernicious problems pervading California nursing homes. They are also called pressure sores or decubitus ulcers. They come about from prolonged pressure, friction, or shearing.
The consequences can be deadly.
Typically, they start off as just blisters but they soon develop into the underlying bone, tissue, and surrounding areas. Often times, an infection can seep into the sores and make them fatal.
Here are a few California nursing home cases that deal with bed sores.
$1,000,000 SettlementThis case involved a series of disputes lasting almost two years. The victim was a nursing home resident in her early nineties. In her subsequent lawsuit, she claimed that the nursing home staff neglected her and generally did not take care of her while she was staying there.
As a result, she developed bed sores (that progressed to Stage IV), dehydration, and a variety of other serious health issues.
It took her doctors almost two years and several operations to correct the damage that was done while she resided there. She sued the nursing home for negligence after these events and the damages that resulted. Before the trial could finish, however, both sides settled for $1,000,000.
Here are some points that help understand why they reached such a high settlement:
The fact that the plaintiff suffered so many different kinds of injuries while under the care of the nursing home weighed against its innocence. It took doctors years to undo the damage that was done by the nursing home staff. The plaintiff had to spend hundreds of thousands of dollars in medical costs to take care of the injuries she sustained while residing at the nursing home.
$1,000,000 VerdictThis unfortunate story started with a relatively healthy nursing home resident in her late seventies. Prior to the events described in the lawsuit, she only suffered from mental problems. She did not have any physical ailments.
However, after just a few months of living at the nursing home (less than 100 days in fact!), she developed bed sores that were so developed you could see the actual bones. They became terribly infected.
During this time, she also experienced symptoms related to general neglect such as dehydration and malnutrition. She lost a lot of weight and she could no longer feed or dress herself. All of these things combined to take her life according to her lawyers and they brought suit not long after her death.
The family received $1,000,000 from the jury and here are some reasons why that might have been the case:
This was a very complicated case involving a nursing home and one of its residents. The latter was a recently-admitted elderly woman suffering from a number of medical problems including paralysis, dementia, diabetes, and others.
However, while living at this particular nursing home, she also developed Stage IV bed sores. The bed sores even became infected with sepsis and eventually killed her.
The woman’s family sued to recover damages for the terrible pain and loss that the death caused them. The defendant nursing home denied all responsibility and said that the decedent’s various ailments were to blame for her passing.
A jury disagreed and awarded the family $2,400,000 for the following damages:
This case was interesting because the plaintiff already had bed sores prior to entering the nursing home in question. She was 93 years old and had Stage I bed sores on her back and buttocks. However, she developed many more bed sores during her stay there and all of them progressed to Stage IV.
Additionally, she also displayed signs and symptoms of abuse and neglect. For instance, the nursing home staff repeatedly failed to change her bed pain, forcing her to sit in her own waste for long periods of time.
Additionally, she experienced severe malnutrition due to a lack of proper food and water. All of these problems left her severely debilitated and unable to walk on her own. Her bed sores became very infected and required extensive surgeries.
She sued the nursing home for negligence because of these events and the defendant facility decided to settle prior to trial for $970,000.
Here are some points of emphasis for this case:
This legal dispute started when an elderly nursing home resident passed away while under the care of the facility staff. The official cause of death was listed as renal failure; however, the woman’s family did some investigation and found that she was also suffering from bed sores, malnutrition, and dehydration prior to dying.
They brought suit against the nursing home for negligence and wrongful death. Their case contended that the staff’s negligence led to her passing and specifically cited a failure to prevent bed sores by implementing a plan for proper turnings and body positioning.
While the defendant facility denied all of these charges, they still agreed to settle the matter for $399,000.
Here are some facts that might help you understand how both sides came to their settlement agreement:
In this incident, a woman in her middle sixties was admitted to a nursing home after she had undergone surgery to replace her hip. Her doctors gave the nursing home staff specific instructions regarding care for the prevention of bed sores.
However, despite these warnings, staff didn’t implement a plan to prevent them, didn’t reposition her consistently, and ignored her cries of pain.
Eventually, she did in fact develop bed sores and required treatment to correct the problem as well as to alleviate the mental distress that they caused.
She sued the nursing home for negligence and both sides settled for $210,000 probably for the follow reasons:
This case was complicated because the victim was already suffering from a number of health problems prior to the accidents including dementia, Alzheimer’s. and diabetes. However, once she got there, her health rapidly declined. She developed serious bed sores, dehydration, renal failure, and blood clots.
Ultimately, she fell into a coma and died just about a month after being admitted to the nursing facility. Lawyers for the woman sued the nursing home and alleged that they failed to properly nourish her and monitor her.
They sought economic and non-economic damages. However, just prior to trial, both sides settled for $100,000.
Here is some insight into why the woman’s estate received a rather low figure in settlement:
The victim in this story was a 77-year-old female resident of a nursing home. Her family brought suit against the facility after she died there. They alleged that their negligent care added to her pain and suffering prior to death and may even have been responsible for her passing.
They cited specific errors the nursing home allegedly committed such as failing to provide her diabetes medication, failing to reposition her to avoid bed sores, and failing to give her sufficient food or water.
The defendant nursing home denied all of these points and argued that the woman’s death was beyond their control. However, this did not stop both sides from finding common ground.
They settled prior to trial for $110,000 to cover the following items:
California nursing home cases involving bed sores can be so complicated that it might be hard to focus on what’s important. Here are some takeaways from these lawsuits that are worth remembering:
Nursing Home Law News team has experience handling bed sore litigation in California and around the country. We can examine your circumstances to figure out if you have bed sores, what stage the bed sores are, and what caused the bed sores to emerge and grow.
Then, we can help you bring a case for recovery at no cost until you’re happy with the award or settlement. Contact Nursing Home Law News today to start down the path to recovery!
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Attorney Anthony Lanzone
Licensed in California
Los Angeles Nursing Home Injury Lawyer Nursing Home Law Center LLC Home