Chino Valley Pressure Ulcers Injury Lawyer

Experienced Pressure Ulcers Injury Attorney in Chino Valley, CA

You might be searching for a Chino Valley pressure ulcers injury lawyer after realizing, through difficult experience, that your family member’s injuries weren’t a natural consequence of aging. Pressure ulcers can be caused by preventable neglect in nursing homes, hospitals, and long-term care facilities. Bedsores can be symptoms of insufficient supervision, poor hygiene, understaffing, and delayed medical treatment.

About Dedicated Law Firm Belgum, Fry & Van Allen

At Belgum, Fry & Van Allen, we represent injury victims across Southern California with undivided attention and dedication. Our lawyers try every case while staying closely involved with every aspect of your case. We take injury cases on a contingency fee basis. This means you do not owe us attorney fees unless we recover compensation on your behalf.

Symptoms of Pressure Ulcers

Each year, about three million adults are affected by pressure ulcers. Those with pressure ulcers average 13 days in the hospital for treatment. Additionally, those with pressure ulcers are two to six times more likely to pass away than those who do not have pressure ulcers. Spotting pressure ulcer symptoms is sometimes difficult. Check with your loved ones at every opportunity to catch symptoms of pressure sores early.

Early-stage symptoms include redness on the skin, discoloration, tenderness, warmth, or hard or soft skin. Visible symptoms of more developed pressure ulcers may include open wounds, drainage, swelling, odors, and infection. Pressure ulcers in later stages can expose muscles and other tissue under the skin, making them extremely difficult to heal.

Some residents may lack the ability or capacity to describe pain related to bedsores due to dementia, brain injuries, or neurological conditions. This is why attentive family members are sometimes the first to notice symptoms of bedsores during their visits or medical appointments.

Why Families Choose to Hire a Pressure Ulcers Injury Lawyer

In some cases, families decide to hire a pressure ulcers injury lawyer because they believe the facility was negligent in providing care or responded too slowly to warning signs. Pressure ulcers injury claims can involve complex medical issues and evidence related to whether injuries were preventable.

Your Chino Valley pressure ulcers injury attorney may analyze medical records related to wound care, staffing levels at the time of injury, facility inspection reports, and delay in treatment. Pressure ulcer cases often rely on professional testimony about the standards of nursing home care or medical care.

Insurance companies and facilities have been known to claim that pressure ulcers are inevitable for certain residents based on age or pre-existing medical conditions. While some pressure ulcers are caused by natural illness or conditions, federal and state laws mandate facilities provide a certain level of care to prevent certain pressure ulcers from developing.

Compensation Available in a Pressure Ulcer Injury Claim

Damages in pressure ulcer claims may provide injured residents and family members with compensation for economic and non-economic damages related to neglect. The value of each case is different and depends on the extent of the injuries, treatment needed, and whether the injuries have long-term impacts. Potential compensable damages are listed below:

• Hospitalization costs and medical care
• Treatment and surgery
• Wound care and recovery
• Therapy and rehabilitation
• Pain and suffering
• Emotional distress
• Diminished quality of life
• Wrongful death if the injury resulted in death

Pressure ulcers can cause severe damage to your loved one and require surgery, skin grafts, infection control, and months of therapy and rehabilitation. Some victims may never regain full mobility or lead a normal life without enduring chronic pain.

Pressure Ulcers and Understaffing

Pressure ulcers are one of the most common complaints lodged against nursing homes and long-term care facilities. Staffing levels can play a primary role in the development of bedsores. Nursing assistants who are responsible for too many patients may be unable to move residents frequently, monitor at-risk areas, or provide quick treatment for developing wounds.

Federal law, overseen by the Nursing Home Reform Act requires facilities to maintain care plans and reasonable staffing levels if they participate in Medicare or Medicaid programs. Pressure ulcers are listed as injuries that are preventable with reasonable care and attention.

If you believe your loved one has suffered injuries due to negligent staffing, please contact us for a free consultation. The San Bernardino Justice Center on West Third Street, in San Bernardino, may handle cases involving pressure ulcers and neglect.

FAQs

How Much Is a Bedsore Claim Worth?

The worth of a bedsore claim varies. Common factors that affect payout include severity of the wound, cost of medical treatment, development of any permanent complications, and the patient’s overall quality of life.

Claims involving serious infections, surgeries, or wrongful death have the potential to yield higher payouts. You may be able to recover damages for medical expenses, pain and suffering, rehabilitation, scarring, and other injuries caused by the bedsore.

Is a Stage 4 Pressure Ulcer the Most Severe?

Yes, a stage 4 pressure ulcer is typically the most severe type of pressure injury. Stage 4 pressure wounds tunnel deeply under the skin and can expose muscle, tendon, or bone. These wounds have a high risk of becoming infected and developing deadly complications, such as sepsis. Stage 4 pressure ulcers require hospitalization and intensive wound care, surgery, or long-term medical management to heal.

How Long Does It Take to Obtain a Settlement for a Pressure Sore Claim?

Pressure sore cases can take anywhere from a few months to settle or several years if the facility contests liability. Cases that are especially complex or involve serious injuries may require additional time to investigate, review with medical professionals, and litigate. If your loved one developed a serious injury, permanent complications, or died as a result of their pressure sore, it can take longer to settle because more evidence and damages must be assessed.

Is a Pressure Wound Considered an Injury?

Yes, a pressure wound is definitely considered an injury. Pressure wounds are often caused by improper care or negligence, which results in damage to a patient’s skin, tissue, muscle, and even bone. Pressure sores can cause extreme pain and lead to serious complications. Pressure sores are injuries that can often be prevented by nursing home caregivers who are required by law to provide proper supervision, positioning, hygiene, and medical care to patients.

Connect with a Compassionate and Experienced Chino Valley Pressure Ulcers Injury Attorney

If your loved one suffered pressure wounds at the hands of another party’s negligence, Belgum, Fry & Van Allen can help you get the compensation you deserve. Contact us for a consultation about your pressure ulcers injury claim.