Bedsore Negligence and Pressure sore compensation

Bedsore Negligence & Pressure Sore Compensation claims

Bedsores may sound like a relatively innocuous affliction. After all, how bad can lying in bed be? Unfortunately for many patients, medical negligence can turn bedsores into a life-threatening condition, particularly in the elderly and infirm. In short, pressure sore compensation is not a condition any medical professional can truly dismiss.

This poor standard of care is unacceptable in our modern hospitals and care homes and should never happen.

What is Bedsore Negligence or Pressure Sore Compensation?

The Medical Negligence Experts have seen a variety of cases relating to bedsore negligence all of which would not take place with adequate care and attention to the patient’s needs. Bedsores, also known as pressure sores or pressure ulcers, form when an area of the body is subjected to pressure for an extended period.

It leads to decreased blood flow which prevents nutrients and oxygen reaching the living tissue. Typically people move around enough to prevent this from occurring, but patients who have limited mobility rely on their caregivers to do this for them.

The dangers of bedsores are twofold. Tissue deprived of regular blood supply begins to decay, allowing bacteria and infection to enter, and since there are insufficient white blood cells to fight off an infection, it can spread, leading to amputation and even death.

Examples of Bedsore & Pressure Sore Negligence

For one, patients who are over 70 years old are possible targets of pressure sores. Especially those who:

• suffer from bowel or bladder incontinence or poor circulation, or;
• who have an existing medical condition like diabetes all have a higher than average risk of developing bedsores.

Examples of pressure ulcer negligence can include:

• Bedsores developing due to patients not being moved enough while recovering in hospital.
• Inadequate care of incontinent patients leading to an ulcer becoming infected.
• Misdiagnosis of initial signs of bedsores with no preventative action.
• Infected pressure sores leading to sepsis.
• Infected pressure sores leading to damage to muscle and bone resulting in amputation.
• Failure to include a patient’s higher risk in their care plan.

These are all cases in successful bedsore negligence compensation claims where patients proved that their pressure sores arose either from inadequate care or that they were not identified and treated correctly when they did develop.

How Can We Help?

The Medical Negligence Experts have a team of solicitors experienced in handling medical negligence claims. We also have access to the right medical authorities who can help assess your claim to give you the best chance of a successful outcome. We appreciate that seeking compensation can be stressful to clients -especially if they are still recovering from their ordeal – so we do all we can to make the process as stress-free as possible, including avoiding legal and medical jargon.

Get in touch with The Medical Negligence Experts today and let us help you obtain the compensation you deserve.