West Virginia Pressure Sores Attorneys
Some injuries should never happen; bedsores in nursing homes are one such injury. They are almost always preventable and their occurrence often means that nursing home staff was negligent in caring for the patient. Families with elderly loved ones in nursing homes should stay alert to the possibility of bedsores. If they do develop, they should consult a personal injury attorney to learn about their legal options.
When bad things happen to good people, we’re here to help.
At Duffield, Lovejoy & Boggs, Attorneys at Law, our West Virginia lawyers know that preventing bedsores is relatively simple. Bedsores, also known as decubitus ulcers or pressure sores, are most likely to develop when a patient lies in one position for so long that blood circulation to the skin is reduced. The way to prevent this from happening is to turn the patient frequently and to keep the patient clean, dry and relatively cool. This seems easy enough.
However, some nursing homes operate with staffing levels that are below those required for obtaining a license to operate a nursing home or care facility. They do this to protect their profit margins, but they do so at the cost of patient care. With inadequate staffing, aides are less available for chores such as regularly turning patients and performing other duties known to prevent bedsores. This is usually clear evidence of nursing home negligence, and it can be legally actionable.
It is important to note that in the experience of our attorneys, nursing home staff members are generally caring and provide good treatment. However, corporate decision-making that cuts staffing levels puts an unfair burden on the people who remain and makes it impossible for them to provide the right level of care. When our attorneys take legal action, the defendant is almost always the corporation that owns the nursing home, rather than individual staff members.
It is important to hold nursing home corporations accountable for their decisions and resulting injuries to their patients. There are laws and regulations that determine the correct staff-patient ratio for a nursing home to be licensed. When the business fails to follow the law, we can take legal action.
Huntington Nursing Bedsores Lawyers
At Duffield, Lovejoy & Boggs, Attorneys at Law, we help the elderly and their families obtain compensation after injuries in nursing homes. Please contact us today to schedule a free initial consultation with a Huntington nursing home bedsores lawyer.
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