Bedsores and Nursing Home Negligence
In one way or another, understaffing, a problem that affects over 90 percent of SoCal long-term care facilities, substantially causes bedsore injuries. Employee shortages are especially acute during nights, weekends, and holidays. Sometimes, the facility doesn’t even have enough people to make regular rounds. Other times, the facility hires underqualified employees. For example, a patient care technician might do a licensed vocational nurse’s job.
As a result, at many facilities, no one turns residents over in bed to prevent bedsores, or the monitoring worker cannot spot an early-stage bedsore and properly intervene. Pressure ulcers are open wounds that quickly become life-threatening. When that happens, a Carlsbad personal injury attorney should step in, obtain the compensation these victims need to pay medical bills, and help ensure that the same thing doesn’t happen again.
Why Should I Partner With an Attorney?
In the wake of a bedsore injury, legal action is usually the last thing on a family’s mind. But, for the reasons mentioned above, it should be a top priority.
Many unscrupulous owners try their best to prevent the partnership between a victim and a Carlsbad personal injury lawyer. Frequently, owners promise to pay medical bills and other expenses if the victim doesn’t pursue the matter.
These owners don’t make these offers out of the goodness of their hearts. They know that, in many cases, a bedsore injury is only the tip of the iceberg. Negligence is apparent in other places as well, such as fall prevention. Owners don’t want to be in the spotlight.
Furthermore, the statute of limitations in a personal injury case is usually two years. So, when the facility reneges on the medical bill payment promise, and it almost certainly will, it’s usually too late to file a legal action.
Only a lawyer obtains fair compensation in court and holds nursing homes responsible for resident health and safety issues. The “we’re understaffed” excuse doesn’t hold up in court. Nursing homes have a health and safety responsibility, even if that responsibility cuts into their precious profits.
How Do I Find the Right Personal Injury Lawyer?
California has one of the highest number of lawyers per capita in the country. Almost any lawyer could handle a simple injury case.
But nursing home injury matters are far from simple, mostly because an out-of-state holding company often legally owns the nursing home. These companies are difficult to sue and have almost unlimited resources.
No personal injury lawyer can match the resources of a large, multinational corporation. But David took out Goliath with five smooth stones. Usually, a Carlsbad personal injury lawyer only needs three stones:
- Accountability: Some lawyers hide behind legal assistants or less-experienced associates when a client has questions, concerns, or comments. Lawyers should be accountable for their work, just like nursing home owners are accountable for nursing home safety.
- Experience: As mentioned, nursing home negligence cases are very complex. Your claim shouldn’t be a training tool for an inexperienced lawyer. Furthermore, experience only tells part of the story. Many attorneys practice law for many years and only see the inside of a courtroom on TV.
- Dedication: This quality goes back to accountability. Most cases settle out of court, but dedicated lawyers who devote most or all of their practice to personal injury are with you to the end of the line. They don’t look for quick settlements or easy ways out.
As mentioned, you have a limited amount of time to act in these cases, so search carefully, and search quickly.
Contact a Thorough San Diego County Lawyer
Injury victims are entitled to substantial compensation. For a confidential consultation with an experienced personal injury lawyer in Carlsbad, contact the Pursley Law Firm. We routinely handle matters throughout the Golden State.
Source:
ahcancal.org/News-and-Communications/Press-Releases/Pages/Survey-94-Percent-of-Nursing-Homes-Face-Staffing-Shortages.aspx
