A feeding tube injury is a medical emergency that can lead to intense pain, dangerous infections, and a sudden decline in health.
Families who have seen this happen often carry anger, guilt, and shame for trusting a facility that failed to provide safe care to their loved one. Others feel helpless and frustrated as they struggle with medical bills and unanswered questions.
When this preventable harm results from negligence, a Louisville feeding tube injury lawyer at Gray & White Law helps families fight for accountability and justice.
Key Takeaways for Louisville Feeding Tube Cases
- Feeding tube injuries often result from negligence in nursing homes, hospitals, and other care settings.
- Legal claims may address errors such as improper insertion, infection, or failure to monitor the device.
- Kentucky law allows injured patients and families to seek damages for medical costs, pain, and wrongful death.
- Building a strong case requires experienced trial lawyers with resources to challenge large institutions.
- Gray & White Law has secured record-setting recoveries for families across Louisville and Kentucky, and we are ready to guide you through the next steps.
Louisville Feeding Tube Injury Guide
- Why Choose Gray & White Law for a Feeding Tube Injury Claim?
- Where Do Feeding Tube Injuries Happen in Louisville?
- Common Types of Feeding Tube Injuries
- Who May Be Liable for a Feeding Tube Injury?
- What Laws in Kentucky Apply to Feeding Tube Injury Cases?
- What Are the Signs of Negligence in a Feeding Tube Injury?
- Taking Immediate Steps to Protect a Feeding Tube Injury Claim
- Damages You May Recover in a Feeding Tube Injury Case
- The Human Toll of Feeding Tube Negligence
- Long-Term Consequences of Feeding Tube Injuries
- Wrongful Death and Feeding Tube Cases in Kentucky
- How Does Gray & White Law Investigate Feeding Tube Injury Claims?
- FAQs for Louisville Feeding Tube Injury Lawyer
- Compassionate Guidance and Powerful Legal Help After a Feeding Tube Injury
Why Choose Gray & White Law for a Feeding Tube Injury Claim?
Choosing an attorney after a serious injury is one of the most important decisions your family will ever make. Here’s what sets our firm apart.
Compassionate and client-centered approach
Families dealing with medical neglect need to be supported, not brushed aside. We treat every client we serve with the compassion, respect, and personal attention they deserve. From the first consultation, we listen, answer questions, and keep you informed throughout your case.
Proven record of results
We have achieved some of the largest verdicts and settlements in Kentucky, including recoveries in the hundreds of millions of dollars. Our history of success shows that we know how to fight and win when negligence changes lives.
Nationally recognized trial lawyers
Our founding attorneys, Mark Gray and Matt White, have been honored by Super Lawyers, the International Society of Barristers, and the National Trial Lawyers Top 100. These recognitions reflect decades of dedication to representing victims in difficult cases.
No fees unless we recover
Hiring our firm costs nothing upfront. We work on a contingency fee basis, meaning you owe no attorney fees unless we recover compensation for you. This approach makes it possible for every family to pursue justice regardless of finances.
Available 24/7
Medical neglect does not follow business hours, and neither do we. You can reach our office at any time, including nights and weekends, to discuss your case.
Where Do Feeding Tube Injuries Happen in Louisville?
Feeding tubes are often necessary for patients who cannot swallow safely due to stroke, dementia, neurological disorders, cancer, severe injury, or recovery from surgery. They provide essential nutrition, hydration, and medication when eating by mouth is not possible. Because they are vital to survival, even small mistakes can cause major setbacks in a patient’s health.
These tubes are used in many settings across Louisville and Kentucky, including nursing homes, hospitals, rehabilitation centers, and long-term care facilities. In every environment, safe placement, careful monitoring, and consistent maintenance are critical.
When staff fail to follow these standards, patients face infections, malnutrition, aspiration, or life-threatening injuries. Families trust caregivers to prevent these outcomes, and when that trust is broken, the consequences for the patient and their family can be devastating.
Common Types of Feeding Tube Injuries
Feeding tubes come in several forms, including nasogastric (NG) tubes that pass through the nose into the stomach and percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy (PEG) tubes that are surgically placed through the abdomen. No matter the type, these devices require careful handling and constant monitoring. When caregivers neglect their responsibilities, the result is often preventable harm, including:
- Infections at the insertion site that can spread quickly, leaving the patient weak, feverish, and vulnerable to further complications
- Aspiration pneumonia caused when food or liquid enters the lungs, often leading to labored breathing, hospitalization, and lasting lung damage
- Perforation of organs from incorrect placement that can trigger internal bleeding and require emergency surgery
- Tube dislodgement or blockage that leaves the patient without adequate nutrition or hydration, sometimes for days at a time
- Improper formula or feeding schedule when staff ignore physician orders, leading to malnutrition, dehydration, or sudden changes in blood sugar
These errors are not minor. They rob patients of stability, erode families’ trust in caregivers, and too often create setbacks from which a frail patient may never recover.
Who May Be Liable for a Feeding Tube Injury?
Families often wonder who should be held responsible when a feeding tube injury occurs. The truth is, accountability can fall on more than one party depending on how the mistake happened and who was involved in the patient’s care.
- Nursing home operators or administrators who failed to train, supervise, or staff adequately
- Hospitals or rehabilitation centers that ignored complications or failed to follow proper protocols
- Individual caregivers or nurses who mishandled insertion, monitoring, or maintenance of the tube
- Physicians or prescribing providers who ordered the wrong type of tube, formula, or feeding regimen
- Medical device manufacturers if the tube or related equipment was defective or failed during use
- Contracted third-party providers such as staffing agencies responsible for supplying undertrained personnel
By identifying every responsible party, we can build a stronger case that addresses the full scope of harm. Holding each accountable not only helps secure compensation for your family but also sends a clear message that neglect in medical care will not be overlooked.
What Laws in Kentucky Apply to Feeding Tube Injury Cases?
Feeding tube injury claims often fall under Kentucky’s medical malpractice laws. Under Kentucky Revised Statutes § 413.140(1)(e), most medical negligence cases must be filed within one year of the injury. Exceptions may apply if the injury was not immediately known. This short deadline makes early legal advice essential.
Acting quickly matters for reasons beyond the deadline. Facilities sometimes delay releasing records, hoping the clock will run out. Staff turnover, altered documentation, or fading memories can also make it harder to prove what really happened. Starting your case early protects the evidence needed to build a strong claim.
Kentucky’s pure comparative negligence rule may affect your recovery. Under this rule, a court may reduce your compensation if the patient was partly responsible for their injury. For example, if a nursing home claims a resident tampered with their own tube, the court may assign partial fault. Even if this happens, you may still recover damages proportional to the facility’s responsibility.
What Are the Signs of Negligence in a Feeding Tube Injury?
Families often sense something is wrong before staff acknowledge it. Warning signs that negligence may be involved include:
- Unexplained infections or recurring fevers
- Sudden weight loss or signs of malnutrition
- Tube repeatedly dislodging without explanation
- Staff avoiding questions or refusing to provide records
- Delays in sending the patient to a hospital despite clear symptoms
When you notice these issues, trust your instincts. Document your concerns and contact Gray & White Law. Our Louisville personal injury lawyers have experience in handling feeding tube injury cases.
Taking Immediate Steps to Protect a Feeding Tube Injury Claim
If your loved one has already received medical attention for a feeding tube injury, there are still critical steps to protect their legal rights:
- Hire a lawyer immediately to investigate and preserve evidence.
- Keep all follow-up medical appointments so that the recovery progress is documented.
- Record daily symptoms and pain levels through notes or video journals.
- Save medical bills, receipts, and communications related to the injury.
These actions can strengthen your claim and help your lawyer build a clear record of the harm caused. Acting quickly is especially important because of Kentucky’s strict filing deadlines.
Damages You May Recover in a Feeding Tube Injury Case
A successful claim may allow your family to recover financial compensation for both the direct and indirect losses tied to a feeding tube injury. These damages often include:
- Medical expenses for hospitalization, surgery, or infection treatment
- Costs of rehabilitation and therapy when recovery requires ongoing care
- Pain and suffering related to physical complications and emotional distress
- Lost income if a working family member must leave their job to provide care
- Funeral costs and wrongful death damages in the most tragic cases
Every case is different, but one fact remains constant: feeding tube injuries can create long-lasting medical and financial consequences. Legal action provides a path to pursue fair compensation for the burdens your family now carries.
The Human Toll of Feeding Tube Negligence
Families across Louisville turn to nursing homes, hospitals, and rehab centers because they cannot meet every medical need at home. When a feeding tube injury occurs in one of these places, the sense of betrayal cuts deep.
Loved ones feel let down by the very people they trusted to protect a vulnerable family member. The stress of arranging new care, questioning medical decisions, and watching the patient struggle can weigh on every part of family life.
When a feeding tube fails, the consequences show up immediately in the patient’s body. They may struggle with pain, infection, or weakness from missed nutrition. Families see their loved one decline and feel the frustration of not being able to stop it. Many carry guilt for trusting a facility that allowed the harm to happen, while anger builds each time questions go unanswered.
At Gray & White Law, we spend time listening because every family’s story is different. The details matter, not just in building a legal case but in understanding how the neglect changed your life. That perspective guides how we fight for accountability and meaningful compensation.
Long-Term Consequences of Feeding Tube Injuries
Some feeding tube errors leave lasting scars. Internal damage may require surgical repair. Infections can weaken an already fragile patient, potentially reducing life expectancy. Repeated errors may cause permanent disability or cognitive decline due to malnutrition.
Families often must arrange for additional nursing care, home health services, or assisted living support. These expenses add up quickly, making legal recovery even more critical. Holding facilities accountable also helps push for safer care standards across Louisville and Kentucky.
Wrongful Death and Feeding Tube Cases in Kentucky
Tragically, some feeding tube injuries result in death. Families may have the right to bring a wrongful death claim under Kentucky Revised Statutes § 411.130, which allows recovery for funeral costs, lost financial support, and the suffering caused by the loss of a loved one.
Wrongful death claims require careful handling. Our lawyers know how to pursue these cases with compassion while aggressively fighting for accountability. If your family lost a loved one due to a feeding tube error, we can help you seek justice and closure.
How Does Gray & White Law Investigate Feeding Tube Injury Claims?
Our approach is thorough and relentless. Feeding tube injury cases require uncovering layers of detail that facilities may try to hide. We often:
- Review medical records and charts for inconsistencies
- Consult with physicians and nursing experts about proper protocols
- Examine staff training and staffing levels at the facility
- Interview witnesses and request surveillance video where available
- Identify patterns of neglect by checking prior inspection reports
By building a detailed picture of what happened, we strengthen your claim and prepare for both settlement talks and trial.
FAQs for Louisville Feeding Tube Injury Lawyer
How do I know if my loved one’s feeding tube injury was caused by negligence?
Look for red flags such as repeated dislodgement, staff refusing to provide explanations, or infections that were ignored until they became severe. A lawyer can review records and consult medical experts to determine whether negligence occurred.
Can I sue a hospital for a feeding tube mistake, or is it only nursing homes?
Yes. Feeding tube cases may involve hospitals, rehab centers, and private care facilities, not only nursing homes. Any medical provider in Louisville that failed to follow accepted standards may be held accountable.
What if the facility blames the patient for tampering with the tube?
Kentucky follows comparative negligence rules. Even if a patient is accused of partial fault, the facility may still be liable for a share of damages. An attorney can help challenge unfair blame-shifting tactics.
How much does it cost to hire a Louisville feeding tube injury lawyer?
Gray & White Law works on a contingency fee basis. That means you pay nothing upfront and no attorney fees unless we recover compensation for you.
What is the difference between an NG tube and a PEG tube injury claim?
The legal process for both types of claims is similar, as both typically fall under medical negligence.
- Nasogastric (NG) tube injuries—where a tube goes through the nose—often involve errors in initial placement or failure to check placement before feeding.
- Percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy (PEG) tube injuries, which are surgically placed, often involve errors related to site infection, poor maintenance, or improper long-term care.
In either case, your lawyer must prove the facility breached its duty of care and that this breach directly caused the injury.
How long will it take to resolve a feeding tube injury claim in Kentucky?
The timeline for a medical negligence case varies significantly and depends on the complexity of the injury, the evidence, and whether the facility will negotiate.
Your claim may resolve through a settlement in months, or it may require a longer period to pursue a verdict at trial. We always move your case forward as efficiently as possible while preparing a strong, evidence-backed strategy.
Do I have to go to trial to recover compensation for a feeding tube injury?
Many medical negligence claims resolve through out-of-court settlements. We prepare every case as if it will go to trial, but we continuously evaluate opportunities to settle if a fair and full compensation offer is extended. The decision to accept a settlement or proceed to trial always rests with you.
Compassionate Guidance and Powerful Legal Help After a Feeding Tube Injury
If your loved one suffered a feeding tube injury in Louisville or anywhere in Kentucky, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed by questions about accountability and next steps. You don’t need to figure it out on your own. At Gray & White Law, our nationally recognized trial lawyers are available 24/7 to listen, review your case, and help you move forward.
Take control of your claim. Call us today at (502) 210-8942 or reach us through our online contact form. The consultation is free, and you owe nothing unless we recover compensation.