Elder Law

Jury Returns Verdict in Nursing Home Bedsores Lawsuit

By Levin & Perconti

AboutLawsuits.com reported last week on the end of a nursing home trial involving a resident killed by negligent care. The jury ultimately awarded the family of a former resident over $600,000 for the events surrounding his death.

The lawsuit was filed by a family against the Retama Manor Nursing Center. The nursing home victim died in 2007 after being treated for bedsores (pressure ulcers) that had gone untreated by the nursing home staff. Bedsores are skin lesions caused by constant pressure on bony areas of the body?these damaging ulcers are almost always preventable when care is consistent and proper. However, when nursing home residents are not moved frequently and have poor nutrition and hydration, the sores are quicker to develop.

Even more, the family discovered that the employees of the nursing home falsified medical records to make it seem as if their family member had been checked on more than he actually was. It was also claimed that the victim was suffering from malnutrition and dehydration while supposedly being cared for by nursing home staff members. All of the negligent care was due in large part to the understaffing at the facility, caused by the owner?s drive for maximized profits.

Our Chicago nursing home lawyers at Levin & Perconti have fought for decades for victims of neglect just like this one. Many of the most common signs of poor nursing home care were exhibited here: bedsores, malnutrition and dehydration, and understaffing. Of course, when employees attempt to falsify medical records at a facility, it becomes increasingly difficult to prove misconduct. It is often a real struggle to get at the truth in these situations, which is why it is vital to contact experienced nursing home lawyers to help if you or a family member has been hurt by poor care at one of these facilities.

Full post as published by Illinois Nursing Home Abuse Blog on November 09, 2010 (boomark / email).