Filing a Maryland Nursing Home Bedsore Lawsuit
According to the United States Centers for Disease Control, approximately 11 percent of nursing home residents suffer from bedsores at any given time. Also known as pressure ulcers or decubitus ulcers, they are the result of long-term pressure on the skin. Bony areas like the heel, elbow, hip, shoulder, and back of the head are common areas for pressure sores to develop.
Poor nutrition, poor circulation, recent weight loss, incontinence, poor mobility, and other diseases can increase the likelihood of bedsores and complicate their healing. When nursing home residents are not turned at least every two hours, as required by law, bedsores often develop. These sores can lead to infection, dead tissue, extreme pain, and even death.
If you are thinking about filing a Maryland nursing home bedsore lawsuit on behalf of your elderly relative, an experienced attorney could help determine if you have a valid claim and the best legal strategy to follow.
Deadline for Filing a Nursing Home Bedsore Lawsuit
Injured nursing home residents and their families need to know that their legal right to file a lawsuit is time-sensitive. If no claim is filed within the applicable statute of limitations, the plaintiff’s right to seek compensation no longer exists. Contacting an attorney who is well-versed in Maryland nursing home law as soon as possible could help their case to be filed within the statute of limitations.
As per the Code of Maryland §5-101, nursing home bedsore lawsuits need to be filed within three years of the injury or the discovery of the injury. In some cases, the injury is not discovered until after the date(s) that it occurred. This is almost always the case with bedsores.
Negligence Causes Bedsores
Negligence is a legal concept. It refers to actions that do not adhere to a given standard or do not align with actions a reasonable person would have displayed.
Nursing home residents are in a nursing home to receive care that their families or other settings are not able to provide. For some elderly residents, this includes frequent position changes in order to avoid various problems such as pressure ulcers. The nursing home and its staff has a duty to provide this care to their residents.
When they fail to provide the care, they have breached their duty and are negligent. Forgetting to turn a resident does not give rise to a legal claim in itself. However, when a breach of duty causes injury and damages, filing a nursing home bedsore lawsuit in Maryland is warranted.
Find Out More About Filing a Nursing Home Bedsore Lawsuit
Learning that your elderly loved one is developing a bedsore can be upsetting, to say the least. Realizing that their bedsore has been caused by the negligence of nursing home staff makes you wonder what rights you have. Filing a lawsuit is one of your rights.
Filing a Maryland nursing home bedsore lawsuit should be done with the assistance of an established attorney. An attorney could develop a legal game plan and gather the evidence needed to show the negligence of the defendant(s) who caused the nursing home resident’s bedsore. They can also help ensure that the lawsuit is filed before the statute of limitations expires.
Reach out today to file your nursing home bedsore lawsuit with a skilled attorney.
