Nursing home negligence is particularly devastating for victims and the families who place their trust in them. Nursing home negligence can include both physical acts of abuse against patients, as well as neglect or negligent behavior, such as failing to reposition patients or assist them with eating, drinking and personal hygiene.
Nursing home negligence is a type of medical malpractice, and nursing homes and their staff can be held liable for any injuries or deaths that occur as a result of nursing home negligence.
Cogan & Power, P.C. is a premier Chicago medical malpractice law firm that is dedicated to protecting the legal rights of the victims of nursing home negligence and elder abuse. We use a collaborative approach to legal representation, which allows us to draw on our attorneys’ diverse and extensive backgrounds, including that of two former defense attorneys and former in-house counsel at a teaching hospital, so that we can get our clients the compensation that they need and deserve.
Nursing home negligence is not always visibly apparent, but some of the common signs of nursing home negligence include:
Nursing home facilities and their staff have an obligation to provide the appropriate level of care to ensure the safety of their nursing home residents. The failure to do so may be considered medical malpractice, which may entitle the victim (or his or her family in the event of death) to compensation for medical bills, pain and suffering, and possibly punitive damages.
Some common types of nursing home negligence include:
Bed sores are one of the most common signs of nursing home negligence. In fact, one in 10 nursing home residents suffers from a bed sore, according to the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention. Bedsores are caused by unrelieved pressure to the skin and can lead to serious health problems, such as infections and other life-threatening injuries. Nursing home residents are especially at risk for bed sores due to the amount of time that they may spend confined to a bed or wheelchair.
Nursing home negligence often results in fall injuries, as well. In fact, nursing home falls are the leading cause of preventable emergency room visits for nursing home residents and, according to the Nursing Home Abuse Center, approximately 1,800 deaths of nursing home residents each year can be attributed to fall-related injuries.
If you or a loved one has been the victim of nursing home negligence, contact the Chicago nursing home negligence attorneys at Cogan & Power at (312) 477-2500 to schedule a free consultation to discuss a possible medical malpractice claim. If you cannot come to our offices in downtown Chicago, we will come to you. And because we take cases on a contingency basis, you will not pay any fee unless we get you compensation.