By Dan Noll on August 7th, 2023 in Nursing Home Abuse
Abuse and Neglect Lawyers Shares Examples and Damages of a Nursing Home Wound Infection Due to Negligence in Springfield, IL
There are many reasons why a loved one may need to be placed in a nursing home or long-term care facility. This includes the need for more specialized medical care that individuals and their families are unable to provide at home. One important aspect of that type of care is wound care. This includes everything from acute trauma, such as injuries after a fall, to more chronic injuries, such as due to diabetes, chemotherapy ports, or other conditions which increase the risk of infection. Although it is impossible to completely eliminate the risk of infection, victims and their families should contact an experienced nursing home abuse and neglect lawyer for a nursing home wound infection due to negligence in Springfield, IL.
Unfortunately, it can be difficult to determine when a wound infection is due to the negligence of a healthcare provider. Most nursing homes and long-term care facilities will claim that an infection is a normal, natural, and unavoidable risk from having a wound. However, the experienced nursing home abuse and neglect lawyers in Springfield at the Noll Law Office know that is not always true. If you or a loved one suffered from any type of infection in a nursing home, especially a nursing home wound infection, contact their compassionate and skilled legal team to set up a free case evaluation at (217) 414-8889. They can discuss your case and your rights with you, helping you understand what compensation you may be entitled to.
Infections and Wound Infections Are Serious Problems
Although most people do not think that they or their loved ones may become a victim of an infection, the sad truth is that it does occur more often than most people may realize. Indeed, statistics reveal that 5.5 million people, or about 10% of Medicare beneficiaries, reported a diagnosis of wound infection. This is a significant number of the population that is ultimately placed in a nursing home or long-term care facility.
According to a separate study, nursing home infection rates continue to rise, particularly certain types of infections like urinary tract infections, hepatitis, drug-resistant organisms, and other wound infections. As it specifically relates to nursing homes, up to 3.8 million infections occur each year in the United States in nursing homes and long-term care facilities. Many of these infections are preventable, especially wound infections.
Examples of a Nursing Home Wound Infection Due to Negligence
Even though not every type of infection in a nursing home means there is abuse, neglect, or negligence occurring, each infection should be carefully evaluated by a well-trained and experienced personal injury lawyer. That’s because many types of infections can be prevented with the proper care, treatment, and evaluation of a healthcare provider at a nursing home or long-term care facility.
Some examples of a nursing home wound infection due to negligence, abuse, or neglect in Springfield includes the following:
- Pressure sores or pressure ulcers – these are clear signs of negligence in causing them and in their treatment. Pressure sores occur when a resident’s skin and tissue have been subjected to prolonged pressure or friction in a certain area for so long that the tissue begins to degrade. That can cause a really painful and damaging wound infection, which frequently becomes life-threatening.
- Cellulitis – this is a type of bacterial infection that occurs on the skin but can go to the layers of tissue below the skin. One of the most common places it occurs is on a wound, which can make it painful and result in sepsis if it is untreated and allowed to fester.
- Necrotizing fasciitis – one of the most commonly known and feared infections, this type of infection occurs most commonly around wounds such as from surgery or trauma (like a fall). This type of infection is very destructive and eats away at healthy tissue, resulting in significant damage to the skin, muscles, and other tissues. Sepsis is very common with this type of infection, and many people who are diagnosed with necrotizing fasciitis in a nursing home will need aggressive and immediate treatment to preserve tissue and even save their life.
- Folliculitis – this infection affects hair follicles and usually occurs in areas where there is hair, such as on the head, beard/chin, chest, legs, or buttocks. It can spread quickly and become extremely painful, often resulting in larger infections or sepsis. Oftentimes it is a sign of poor hygiene, nutrition, or a combination caused by a negligent nursing home.
Damages from Nursing Home Wound Infections in Springfield
Victims and their families who suffer from a nursing home wound infection due to negligence in Springfield, IL may be entitled to compensation for their damages. The term “damages” means the losses that they have sustained as a result of the defendant’s negligence or otherwise wrongful conduct.
Some of the most common damages in a nursing home case include the following:
- Physical pain and suffering
- Emotional pain and suffering
- Medical bills
- Loss of enjoyment of life
- Loss of consortium, society, parental guidance, and other family-related interactions
- Acceleration of one’s death
- Wrongful death
- Property damage
- Punitive damages, in exceptional cases of egregious conduct, and
- Other damages related to nursing home abuse, neglect, and negligence in Springfield, IL.
Damages within a nursing home case are often hotly contested because a victim usually has significant and permanent injuries after the case. Victims also usually have comorbidities that defendants try to contest as well to lower their exposure to a claim.
Were You or a Loved One Injured by Nursing Home Negligence in Springfield, IL? Call The Noll Law Office
The fifth-generation lawyers at the Noll Law Office are prepared to help victims and their families recover fair and just compensation after nursing home abuse, neglect, or negligence. Unlike other personal injury law firms in the area, the Noll Law Office handles cases in-house. This means that your nursing home abuse and neglect lawyer is in Springfield and has the experience that you know and trust, rather than how other law firms refer cases to new associates across Illinois to handle your case. That means you can call up the Noll Law Office and speak with your lawyer who is local and dedicated to you and your family. Combined with their experience, resources, and zealous representation, the Noll Law Office is the ideal choice for victims and their families who are looking for personalized and dedicated legal services.
To learn more about how their experienced nursing home abuse and neglect lawyers in Springfield can help you, contact the Noll Law Office today.