Seeking Justice for Preventable Harm by Care Providers
A pressure injury, sometimes called a pressure ulcer or bedsore, is more than a painful medical condition. In many cases, it’s a warning sign that basic standards of medical care were not followed. When a pressure injury develops or worsens under professional care, it often raises serious questions about neglect, staffing, and accountability.
If you or a loved one has suffered a pressure injury in a nursing home, hospital, or similar care setting, you’re likely wondering whether it could have been prevented…and what options you have now. Gordon Thomas Honeywell’s expert medical malpractice lawyers help families understand how these injuries occur, when they suggest potential negligence, and how to pursue accountability when proper care was not provided. As pressure injury attorneys, we handle complex personal injury cases involving preventable harm in nursing homes, hospitals, and other care settings.
Even in scenarios of extended convalescence, pressure injuries are not inevitable. In fact, given appropriate monitoring and care, the vast majority are preventable. When they occur, they can lead to severe pain, infection, prolonged hospitalization, and, in the most serious cases, life-threatening complications.
What is a Pressure Injury?
A pressure injury is damage to the skin and underlying tissue caused by prolonged pressure or pressure combined with shear (when force parallel to the skin is applied, causing skin to move one way and underlying tissues to move another, typically leading to deeper tissue damage).
These injuries most often develop over bony areas such as the heels, hips, tailbone, elbows, or shoulder blades, where constant pressure restricts blood flow to the tissue. Without adequate blood flow, skin and tissue are deprived of oxygen and nutrients. Over time, the tissue breaks down, leading to open wounds that can deepen rapidly if not treated.
Shear plays a major role as well. When a person slides down in a bed or wheelchair, the skin may stay in place while deeper tissue shifts. This internal stress damages blood vessels beneath the surface, accelerating injury even when the skin initially appears intact.
The Stages of Pressure Injuries
Pressure injuries typically progress through identifiable stages, each indicating increasing severity:
- Stage 1: Intact skin with persistent redness that does not blanch when pressed. The area may feel painful, warm, or firm.
- Stage 2: Partial-thickness skin loss, often appearing as a shallow open sore or blister.
- Stage 3: Full-thickness skin loss with visible fat tissue. The wound may tunnel under surrounding skin.
- Stage 4: Full-thickness tissue loss exposing muscle, tendon, or bone. These injuries carry a high risk of infection and serious complications.
- Unstageable: The wound is covered by dead tissue (slough or eschar), making it impossible to determine depth until cleaned.
- Deep Tissue Pressure Injury (DTPI): Discolored, intact skin indicating damage deep beneath the surface, often progressing rapidly.
Later-stage injuries do not appear overnight. They are usually the result of repeated failures to assess risk, reposition patients, maintain skin integrity, and respond to early warning signs.
In professional care settings, pressure injuries, especially advanced ones, are often preventable. Their presence may signal a breakdown in fundamental caregiving responsibilities.
Common Failures that Lead to Pressure Injuries
Negligence may involve one or more of the following failures:
- Infrequent or improper repositioning
- Failure to perform routine skin assessments
- Ignoring early signs of skin breakdown
- Inadequate nutrition or hydration
- Lack of pressure-relieving mattresses or cushions
- Poor hygiene or moisture management
- Inadequate staffing or supervision
Facilities are expected to identify patients at risk and implement prevention plans. When they fail to do so, the consequences can be devastating.
Care Settings Where Pressure Injuries Commonly Occur
Pressure injury cases commonly arise in:
- Nursing homes and assisted living facilities, where pressure injury claims often overlap with broader nursing home abuse and neglect concerns
- Hospitals, particularly following surgery or during extended stays
- In hospital settings, prolonged immobility following childbirth or other procedures can increase the risk of pressure injuries, particularly in cases involving serious birth injuries.
- Rehabilitation centers
- Home health care, when agencies fail to train or supervise caregivers
- Medical device use, such as casts, oxygen tubing, or braces that are not properly monitored
In each setting, providers have a duty to protect patients from foreseeable harm, including pressure injuries, as part of their duty of care to ensure a patient’s well-being and quality of life aren’t negatively impacted. The general rule is that if you enter a medical facility without a pressure injury, you should leave that medical facility without a pressure injury.
Pressure injury claims are a form of medical negligence or elder neglect, and they require a detailed, evidence-based approach. These cases are not about bad outcomes, they are about preventable harm caused by substandard care.
Pressure injury claims are a form of medical negligence or elder neglect, and they often overlap with other failures in care, including misdiagnosis or delayed treatment.
Choosing the right legal representation means working with a law office that understands both medical negligence and the long-term impact pressure injuries can have on families. Unlike general personal injury lawyers, our team focuses on medically complex claims involving pressure injuries and neglect.
Proving a Pressure Injury Case
To succeed, a pressure injury claim must establish:
- The Standard of Care: What a reasonably careful provider should have done under similar circumstances.
- A Breach of that Standard: How the provider failed to meet those expectations, such as not repositioning a patient, ignoring early skin changes, or compounding harm through related surgical errors during hospitalization.
- Causation: Proof that the failure directly caused or worsened the pressure injury.
- Damages: The physical, emotional, and financial harm resulting from the injury. Compensation may include current and future medical bills, ongoing wound care costs, rehabilitation expenses, and pain and suffering.
This process often requires detailed medical record analysis and testimony from qualified medical experts.
Overcoming Common Defense Arguments
Facilities frequently argue that pressure injuries are unavoidable due to age, illness, or limited mobility. While certain conditions increase risk, they do not eliminate the duty to provide preventive care.
A pressure injury attorney works with medical experts to show that, even with underlying conditions, proper care could have prevented the injury or stopped it from progressing.
Warning Signs That Warrant Legal Review
You may want to speak with a pressure injury attorney if you notice:
- A new pressure injury developing during professional care
- A wound that worsens without explanation
- Sparse or inconsistent care documentation
- Delays in treatment or wound care
- Signs of infection, including fever or foul-smelling wounds
- Complaints of pain that go unaddressed
- Poor hygiene or unsafe facility conditions
Early legal involvement can help preserve records and protect your loved one’s rights.
The Gordon Thomas Honeywell team approaches pressure injury cases with care and precision. The Tacoma-based attorneys at our firm respect what families are going through. We’re here to help guide you through the legal process every step of the way.
During your initial consultation, we review medical records, answer your questions, and explain whether a pressure injury claim may be appropriate. We also handle all communication with the facility, its legal team, and any involved insurance companies, allowing families to focus on their loved one’s care.
Investigation and Evidence Review
Our process typically includes:
- Obtaining and reviewing all medical records, nurse flow sheets, and chart notes
- Identifying gaps, inconsistencies, or policy violations
- Consulting with wound care and nursing experts
- Assessing whether staffing or systemic failures played a role
Pursuing Accountability
Depending on the case, we may pursue:
- Negotiated settlements with insurers or facilities
- Formal litigation when accountability is denied
- Trial advocacy if a fair resolution cannot be reached
Throughout the process, we keep you informed and involved, while handling the legal and procedural burdens on your behalf.
Pressure injury cases require careful handling, both legally and personally. Families throughout Tacoma and the South Sound seek our firm’s guidance because of our:
Experience with Complex Pressure Injury Claims
Our attorneys regularly handle cases involving institutional negligence, medical issues, and vulnerable populations. We understand how pressure injury cases are investigated and litigated.
Access to Qualified Experts
Establishing negligence often depends on expert analysis. We work with medical professionals, care specialists, and industry experts who can evaluate whether proper care was provided.
Client-Focused Advocacy
Every family’s situation is different. We take time to understand your concerns, explain your options, and tailor our approach to your goals.
Clear Communication
Legal matters can feel overwhelming. We prioritize straightforward explanations and regular updates so you always know where your case stands.
Contingency Fee Representation
Our firm handles pressure injury cases on a contingency basis, meaning legal fees are paid only if compensation is recovered.
FAQs About Pressure Injury Claims
Not always. But advanced or worsening pressure injuries in professional care settings often raise serious concerns. Each case requires careful review.
Compensation may include medical expenses, pain and suffering, emotional distress, disfigurement, and, in rare fatal cases, wrongful death damages.
Some cases resolve through settlement within a year. Others, especially those involving trial, may take longer depending on complexity.
Yes. Statutes of limitations apply and vary depending on the circumstances. Waiting too long can permanently bar a claim.
Pre-existing conditions do not excuse negligent care. Providers are still required to implement appropriate preventive measures.
What kind of medical negligence lawsuits usually get filed in court?
Medical malpractice cases may include a variety of treatments:
Contributory fault can limit recoverable damages for injured victims. Your GTH lawyer will secure the police report, gather evidence, and help you file a car accident claim with your insurance carrier. Your personal injury lawyer will also help determine which motorist is responsible for driver negligence.
If you believe a loved one may have suffered a pressure injury due to negligent care, you deserve clear answers and thoughtful guidance from a respected law firm. Our personal injury attorneys are committed to helping families understand their options and pursue accountability when care standards are not met.
Schedule a Free Consultation
For a free case evaluation, we invite you to contact our legal team for a free, confidential consultation. During this conversation, we’ll listen to your story, answer your questions, and explain how we can help.
Who can be liable for medical negligence damages?
Healthcare providers legally liable may include:
It’s not uncommon for medical negligence attorneys to discover a history of negligence involving a medical professional or healthcare facility. In fact, medical malpractice attorneys could be representing other injured patients or their families in cases of preventable negligence involving the same doctor or facility as yourself or loved one.
When you schedule your free consultation, our legal team will review our case and look for case histories involving healthcare providers.
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