subject: Bedsores, Pressure Sores and Decubitus Ulcers In Nursing Home Neglect Cases [print this page] Bedsores, Pressure Sores and Decubitus Ulcers In Nursing Home Neglect Cases
Medical malpractice cases against nursing home and health care facilities often arise when patients suffer from bedsores, pressure sores, or decubitus ulcers due to the mistreatment of the facility. If you are a victim of nursing home neglect and suffer from bedsores, you want to make sure you have proper documentation in proving the severity of the injury. In fact, photographic evidence is one of the most important tools in proving that severity.Bedsorses or pressure sores often in persons who are cannot move around easily and in persons who have predisposing risk factors, such as poor nutrition, continued moisture (especially from urine or feeces), confinement to a bed or wheelchair, and other medical problems (hip fracture, dementia). Taking photographs of bedsores could ultimately mean the difference between winning and losing a case. A nursing home neglect lawyer should advise anyone who has been abused or neglected in a nursing home to document all aspects of their injuries via photographs and if a patients' request to be photographed is denied, get a judge to order the photographs to be taken. As a nursing home resident or patient, you have the right to photograph or videotape your injuries. A nursing home staff member, such as a caretaker, has no legal basis to deny the request.Not only do you want to photograph the bedsore itself, but also the progression of it as well. Bedsores or bed sores can develop quickly and it is very important to your case to document this progression. Taking a picture of your bedsore or pressure sore daily is a good idea. Capturing the date each picture was taken and who took the picture is also a good idea.Using photographs in a lawsuit can add substantial value to claim. Photographic evidence can be compelling and is simply the best way to exlpain injuries and damages to a jury because medical records provide descripitons of the injuries, but no visual evidence. While the old saying, "A picture is worth a thousand words" may have originated with an adversiting agency, there can be no dispute that that value of a picutre fur use in litigation such as proving the severity of a bedsore due to nursing home abuse is priceless.Patients and their families who suffer from bedsores, pressure sores, or decubiuts ulcers do have legal rights and can file civil claims seeking money compensation for the injuries suffered due to nursing home neglect and abuse. In situations in which a patient dies due to the negligence of the facility, the family can file a Wrongful Death Claim for the loss of their loved one.
