When substandard medical care causes a person to suffer injury or illness, victims and family members often experience feelings of anger and frustration. When the victim is a child, or an elderly person who cannot provide self-care, the unjustness of the situation is intensified. In 2011, in a facility outside Hawaii, an elderly man died due to what his family says was nursing home negligence.
The man was an 87-year-old veteran who is said to have died from complications due to bed sores and sepsis. His family has filed a legal claim against the nursing facility, alleging that its failure to provide appropriate care in a timely manner is what caused their loved one’s death. In addition, the family says the nursing home was understaffed and that the decedent suffered pain, infection and disfigurement due to lack of proper care.
Initially, the man had entered the nursing home after having been treated at a hospital for pneumonia. Upon entering the nursing home, his condition was apparently noted as being high risk for bed sores. His family contends that the sores he developed would have been easy to treat had the proper care and attention been provided.
The veteran suffered from dementia, but his family said he was quite conscious of the pain and suffering he endured. Their negligence legal claim has been filed against both the hospital and the nursing home. Similar situations occur often in Hawaii and other states. When one is considering filing a claim against any party deemed responsible for a person’s death, it is typically helpful to first seek experienced guidance from a personal injury attorney.
Source: unionleader.com, “Nashua nursing home faces wrongful death lawsuit“, Kimberly Houghton, June 5, 2016