Confidential Settlement for Patient Left Unturned in Hospital
N/AOUTCOME:
Attorneys Nancy La Vista and Tim J. Murphy helped obtain a confidential settlement for a hospital patient who had horrific bedsores because of negligence by the staff. During the investigation of the ... claim, Clark Fountain learned that hospital personnel failed to regularly turn the patient over, as each believed someone else had attended to the patient. As a result the man ended up on his back 24-hours a day for several days and developed the sores. If you are in a hospital or nursing facility. and cannot turn yourself, medical staff should turn you approximately every two hours to prevent pressure sores and deep tissue injury from occurring. Without proper medical attention, such injuries can progress to open wounds. The areas most likely to be affected include the sacrum, a triangular bone at the base of the spine, and the heels. However all bony areas are at risk for developing pressure sores. Because Medicare has deemed pressure sores preventable, it may deny payment for treatment related to bedsores.
