Baltimore Hospital Bedsores Lawyer
People who must stay in the hospital are already suffering from serious illnesses and diseases. They trust the hospital staff to provide them with the appropriate care that will help them and not hurt them. Unfortunately, this does not always happen. One of the most common forms of harm experienced by hospital patients is the presence of bedsores. Bedsores are entirely preventable, which is why hospitals often face challenges when defending themselves in lawsuits involving these devastating injuries.
If you or someone you love has suffered from bedsores while staying in a hospital, you likely have a valid legal claim. Still, it is important to work with a Baltimore hospital bedsores lawyer who can accurately evaluate your claim and give you the best chance of a positive outcome.
What are Bedsores?
Bedsores, also known as pressure ulcers, are a very serious injury that occur when hospital patients have been left in the same position for too long. They are more likely to appear on a patient’s buttocks, tailbone, heels, hips, and other bony areas of the body.
Sitting in a wheelchair or lying in bed for too long places immense pressure on different parts of the body. This reduces blood flow to certain areas of the body and the tissue will become damaged and eventually die as a result. As tissue continues to die, the underlying tissue will also become damaged and die. In the worst of cases, bedsores can even cause bone and tissue to become exposed.
When are Hospitals Liable for Bedsores?
Hospitals can be held legally liable for paying damages any time a staff member is negligent and a patient suffers harm as a result. The important thing to remember is that in order for the facility to be held liable, it must have been a staff member who caused the injury. It is for this reason that it is often easier to sue a hospital for bedsores than it is for other injuries sustained.
In hospitals, it is usually the nurses that are responsible for moving patients and turning them to ensure they do not develop bedsores. Unlike doctors, who may have hospital rights but are not always employees, hospitals directly hire and employ nurses. As such, any time a nurse or other staff member is negligent, it is possible to hold the hospital vicariously liable for those actions. Hospitals can also be held liable for failing to hire enough staff members to properly care for patients, and for not training nurses and other staff members properly to prevent patients from suffering from bedsores.
Our Hospital Bedsores Lawyer in Baltimore Can Assist with Your Claim
If you or a loved one has suffered an injury, our Baltimore hospital bedsores lawyer can provide the sound legal advice you need. At Wais, Vogelstein, Forman, Koch & Norman, LLC, our attorneys have the necessary experience to go up against hospitals and win. We want to put that experience to work for you. Call us today at 410.567.0800 or fill out our online form to schedule a free consultation and to obtain the sound legal advice you need.
