On behalf of Hastings Law Firm P.C. posted in Houston Lawyer for Delayed Surgery on Wednesday, November 18, 2015.
The perception of most Texas residents is that nursing homes are places in which their elderly loved ones will receive care of an acceptable standard. Unfortunately, thousands of nursing home residents suffer avoidable injuries, such as bedsores and infections every year. In many cases, lack of proper training, miscommunication and under-staffing result in patients suffering serious harm.
A jury recently awarded $1 million to the family of a 71-year-old woman who died in a nursing home in another state in 2012. In the lawsuit, the family alleged the nursing home’s recklessness and negligence caused bedsores that became infected. Further claims say the woman suffered severe injuries, and she ultimately died after nursing home staff allowed deterioration of her condition.
According to the complaint, the family members were not informed of the deteriorating condition of their loved one, and non-medical staff took it upon themselves to make important decisions about the patient’s medical care. The plaintiff also claimed that the nursing home failed to employ adequate nursing staff and to maintain proper supervision. The jury awarded the plaintiff punitive damages of $560,000 and compensatory damages totaling $440,000.
Texas residents who suspect that loved ones suffered avoidable injuries while in the care of nursing homes may benefit from consulting with experienced medical malpractice attorneys who can assess the circumstances and determine whether the facilities can be held accountable. The Houston based medical malpractice lawyers at Hastings Law Firm have over a decade of experience handling personal injury cases within the medical industry and across the state of Texas. A lawyer may be able to show that caregivers deviated from the standard of care and calculate the cost of the damage caused by the negligence. When nursing home employees cause harm that leads to the death of a loved one, a family has the right to pursue compensation.
Source: cleveland.com, “Jury awards family $1 million in lawsuit against Beachwood nursing home”, Bob Sandrick, Nov.10, 2015
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