When an elderly individual starts to experience accidental injuries, such as bruises, cuts, or broken bones, their families often opt to move them to a nursing home so that they can receive proper and attentive care. Unfortunately, placing a loved one in a long-term care facility does not always mean they are safe from injury. While accidents can still happen, abuse and neglect also play a significant role in nursing home injuries. The following addresses some of the most common physical dangers residents face while living at a nursing home.

Four Frequent Injuries Resulting From Nursing Home Neglect and Abuse

1. ) Bedsores

When a patient remains in one position for an extended amount of time, they may develop bedsores. Bedsores are most often seen in a patient’s ankles, elbows, tailbone, and hips. When nursing home residents are not capable of moving on their own, it is the staff’s responsibility to assist in rotating or shifting the patient’s position on a regular basis. When staff neglect this duty, the sores can become severely infected and have life-threatening effects.

When a pregnant mother is preparing to give birth to her child, she may not consider the possibility of facing an emergency situation. In some instances, this emergency situation may require a cesarean delivery. The need for a first-time cesarean delivery, better known as a C-section, is often not apparent until the delivery process has already begun. Some mothers opt for this method ahead of time if they have been experiencing complications through their pregnancy or have already undergone a c-section with a previous child. In other cases that require an emergency c-section, it is the doctor’s responsibility to understand the warning signs that necessitate this procedure and how to perform the surgery safely. When a doctor fails to uphold these expectations and the mother or child suffers an injury, It may be possible to hold the doctor accountable for their medical negligence.

C-Section Delivery Injury Risks

C-sections, while sometimes necessary, are unfortunately not always done soon enough and not always done properly. Both of these errors can cause distress to both the mother and child throughout the C-section.

The mother is highly susceptible to injury during a c-section if it is not performed well or at the appropriate time. After the procedure, the mother may be more likely to develop an infection and blood clots. They may also suffer a postpartum hemorrhage and surgical injury to their bladder or bowel. Additionally, any time a C-section is performed, there is a chance that a mother may react poorly to the anesthesia.

Prescription medications are fairly common in households throughout the country. It is in the nature of most people to trust their doctor’s opinions in terms of their health, including what medications they may need to take. Unfortunately, mistakes involving the prescription and administration of medications do happen and they can result in severe injuries for the patient. Pharmaceutical errors are often linked to medical malpractice and patients who have been harmed by such negligence should be able to hold negligent parties accountable.

How Do Medication Errors Happen?

Errors related to prescription medications are typically associated with human error in some form. While some issues may arise from lack of attentiveness, others may be a result of poor communication. Whatever the true root of the error is, administering and prescribing medication incorrectly can potentially lead to very serious consequences.

It is possible for patients to be given the wrong medication or the wrong dosage of a medication. In some cases, doctors make miscalculations in terms of dosage, which puts the patient at risk of overdose. Medication errors of this sort may also be caused simply by human error when writing or reading the correct amount of medication.

When you are sick or injured, you go to the doctor or a hospital to receive medical care. When that medical care injures us further or makes us even sicker, it can be frustrating and stressful. Unfortunately, medical malpractice is not all that uncommon in the United States. According to data from the National Practitioner Database, there have been more than 58,000 instances of medical malpractice payments or adverse actions taking place since the beginning of 2020. If you have been a victim of medical malpractice, there are likely various questions that you have relating to your case. Here are some of the most common questions and their answers.

Is There a Time Limit to File a Claim for Medical Malpractice?

With nearly any case that you file with the court, there is such a thing called the “statute of limitations.” This is simply just a law that states how long a person can wait before they are no longer able to file a lawsuit and have it heard in court. In Illinois, most people must bring a case in court within two years of the medical malpractice incident. However, in some cases, the statute of limitations may be extended to four years.

What Kind of Damages Can Be Recovered in a Malpractice Case?

In many cases, medical malpractice can leave you with severe and/or lasting effects. In some cases, you may have difficulty getting through day-to-day life or you may be in constant pain. Depending on the circumstances surrounding your case, you may be able for damages such as:

When you visit a doctor, you expect them to properly evaluate your physical condition, listen to your concerns, and determine the best course of treatment to address any issues that affect you. However, if a doctor does not properly assess your condition and identify diseases or other issues that may impact your health and well-being, you may not be able to receive the proper treatment within the right amount of time. In some cases, doctors may misdiagnose a condition, or they may not make the correct diagnosis in time to provide the necessary treatment. This form of medical malpractice is much more prevalent than many people would expect; around 12 million people are misdiagnosed every year in the United States, and one out of every three cases involving misdiagnosis result in serious injuries or wrongful death.

Reasons for Misdiagnosis and Delayed Diagnosis

When a patient is misdiagnosed, they may suffer harm not only because their condition goes untreated, but because they undergo unnecessary treatments that could have a negative effect on their overall health. Delayed diagnosis can also result in serious injuries due to the lack of treatment. For instance, a delayed cancer diagnosis may result in the cancer spreading beyond the point where it can be addressed through treatments such as chemotherapy, radiation therapy, or surgery.

There are multiple reasons why a patient’s condition may not be diagnosed correctly, including: