Oklahoma City Nursing Home Abuse Lawyer

Bed sores, or pressure ulcers, are one of the most common injuries which result from neglect. Pressure ulcers are not a natural effect of aging, but on the contrary, are normally preventable with basic hygiene measures.

Bed sores tend to develop on the boniest areas of the body, such as the hips, ankles, and wrists. They may take weeks or months to develop, depending on the individual. In addition to being extremely painful, bed sores can also lead to serious medical complications, including:

• Cancer – Chronic wounds that never heal, called Marjolin’s ulcers, can develop into an aggressive type of skin cancer called squamous cell carcinoma.
• Cellulitis – Cellulitis is a bacterial skin infection capable of spreading rapidly and causing death.
• Osteomyelitis – Osteomyelitis is a bone infection which typically requires surgical treatment to remove the infected bone.
• Sepsis – Sepsis occurs when bacteria from open bed sore wounds passes into the bloodstream, potentially leading to organ failure and death.

Broken bones are also highly common. While it’s true that older adults are more susceptible to fractures due to factors like reduced bone density and difficulty balancing, that still doesn’t excuse or explain a preventable injury, especially since nursing homes are supposed to monitor residents who are known to have a high risk of falling.

Nursing Home Negligence Lawsuit

If a nursing home resident in Oklahoma City suffers abuse, they have a right to file a civil lawsuit against the facility to recover damages. In addition, the state allows for third parties close to the resident to bring a suit on behalf of the injured resident.

To bring a successful suit based on negligence by a nursing home, the injured party must prove that the nursing home had a duty of care for its residents that it subsequently breached, and that breach of duty directly caused damages to the resident filing the lawsuit.

Because the Nursing Home Care Act sets forth required standards for nursing home facilities, it should be fairly easy for the injured party to prove that the nursing home has a duty of care to avoid injuring its residents. Furthermore, a breach of such a duty is generally a qualitative question that can be answered with evidence of abuse. Lastly, the injured party will need to prove that the negligence of the nursing home directly caused their injuries, as opposed to some outside source. an experienced nursing home abuse attorney in Oklahoma City could help a plaintiff prove negligence.

When vulnerable populations are abused, they need family members and experienced legal professionals to stand up for them. If you suspect a nursing home of abusing someone you love, contact an Oklahoma City nursing home abuse lawyer today to see what your options may be.