J. Cogburn Car Accident and Personal Injury Lawyers | July 18, 2024 | Nursing Home Abuse

Are Hospitals and Nursing Homes Responsible for Bedsores in Nevada?

Hospitals and negligent nursing homes in Nevada could be liable for bedsores a patient develops. Providing adequate care and treatment is crucial, and bedsores are entirely preventable. Therefore, a patient should not develop bedsores unless the hospital or nursing home provides insufficient care.

What Are Bedsores?

Pressure sores (i.e., bedsores) are caused by staying in one position for long periods. They are areas of damaged skin. Bedsores develop where the skin is close to the bone, such as the hips, tailbone, heels, elbows, and back.

Pressure sores develop because a patient is left in the same position for too long. This puts pressure on specific parts of the body. That pressure affects blood flow, which can cause the skin at the pressure point to become damaged because of lack of blood flow.

Factors that can increase a patient’s risk of developing bedsores include:

  • Patients who are in the ICU may not be able to turn themselves or shift into a different position
  • Dehydration and malnutrition can increase the risk of bedsores because the patient may lack the strength to move often enough
  • Patients with severe injuries may be confined to a bed, unable to move their extremities
  • Individuals with certain medical conditions or other risk factors

Nursing homes and hospitals have a duty of care to review patients’ medical histories to determine if they are more likely to develop bedsores. The facilities must also have procedures and policies they follow to reduce the risk of bedsores. They should also take steps to address bedsores immediately to minimize the damage.

What Are the Stages of Bedsores?

Bedsores develop over time and go through several stages, from Stage 1 bedsores to Stage 4 bedsores.

Stage 1 Bedsores

A bedsore often begins as a bruise on the skin. The area may be purplish, red, or blue. It may also feel warm when touched and could burn or itch. At this point, the hospital and nursing home staff should recognize that the patient is not shifting positions. They should take steps to ensure the patient is moved often.

Stage 2 Bedsores

A bedsore turns from a bruise to an open sore that is similar to a blister or abrasion in appearance. The wound and the area around it are painful. The skin around the wound may be discolored. If left untreated, the bedsore continues to worsen.

Stage 3 Bedsores

The bedsore begins to deepen and look like a crater. The skin around the wound may become very dark as it dies. There may be blood or pus coming from the wound. It could take months for Stage 3 bedsores to heal, even with aggressive antibiotics.

Stage 4 Bedsores

Nursing home abuse and hospital bed sores should never reach Stage 4. The staff has completely ignored the situation and failed to provide treatment. Stage 4 pressure ulcers can lead to life-threatening infections. The bed sores can spread to bones, muscles, tendons, and joints, causing severe and irreparable damage.

Suing a Hospital or Nursing Home for Bed Sores in Nevada

Generally, hospitals and nursing homes are liable for bedsores because they are avoidable injuries. However, you must prove negligence to recover compensation.

The legal elements you must prove to hold the nursing home or hospital liable for damages are:

  • The facility owed you a legal duty of care because of your relationship with the facility as a patient.
  • The facility breached the duty of care by failing to recognize the warning signs of bedsores and/or failing to provide prompt treatment.
  • The facility’s actions were the direct and proximate cause of your bedsores.
  • You sustained damages because of the bedsores.

If you prove the elements of a negligence or malpractice case, you may receive compensation for economic and non-economic damages. A bedsore settlement amount depends on the facts of the case. If you sustained permanent impairments because of the bedsores, you could be entitled to past and future damages.

Contact a Las Vegas bedsore injury lawyer if you have questions about suing a hospital or nursing home. Your time to file a claim is limited by the Nevada statute of limitations. Therefore, speaking with an attorney promptly is strongly recommended. 

For more information, please contact our Las Vegas Nursing Home Abuse attorneys at J. Cogburn Car Accidents and Personal Injury Lawyers to schedule a free consultation today.

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