The sister of 57 year old deaf and mute nursing home attendant, A.B., contacted the Chicago nursing home abuse attorneys at Lipkin & Apter to help their case. A.B. had become totally dependent for his care and was moved to a nursing home. After approximately three years at the facility, A.B. developed several bedsores – the most significant and serious of which formed at the base of his spine, just above his buttocks. He received treatment, including a brief hospitalization, and the bed sores healed. Unfortunately, once a person suffers an initial bed sore, they are more likely to have a recurrence if the conditions leading to the first injury are not remedied. Too often, this is the case. It is best to avoid the onset of the bed sores.
According to the Illinois Nursing Home Care Act, facilities must provide residents with care and treatment that is free of neglect and adequately meets their physical and emotional needs. If the nursing care facility fails to give proper care, a serious, ongoing injury may result. If this occurs, the facility can be held liable for damages based upon the plaintiff's injuries, as well as attorneys' fees.
A bed sore does not automatically mean a resident has been neglected. The medical community acknowledges that bed sores are "unavoidable" with certain patients, even with appropriate precautions, e.g. special mattresses, frequent turning and regular cleaning. However, that is not often the case. A.B. developed a serious stage IV bed sore that healed and then recurred when he was not properly fed, turned and cleaned. The recurrence caused him to undergo surgery to treat the sore, which made him temporarily immobile and contributed to bed sores on his heels.
Our personal injury lawyers contended that the nursing home's failure to turn and rotate A.B. every two hours, the accepted standard of care in the community, caused the onset of his sores. In this case, Lipkin & Apter proved that because of a breakdown in communication between the nurses, certified nursing assistants, licensed practical nurses and other members of the nursing home's staff, this unfortunate gentleman suffered bed sores and consequently thousands of dollars of medical bills.
Unfortunately, A.B. died due to unrelated causes several months later. We pursued the nursing home abuse case on behalf of A.B.'s two sisters and two brothers (he had no children), who shared in the proceeds of the $200,000 settlement.
Case: Family claims nursing home's negligence caused A.B. to develop bed sores.
Result: Lipkin & Apter nursing home abuse attorneys were successful at proving negligence, resulting in a $200,000 settlement.
The personal injury attorneys of Lipkin & Apter are experienced in the laws that protect patients. To schedule a consult in our Chicago office or by telephone, contact us today.