Can You Sue a Nursing Home for Sepsis?

Sepsis is a condition in which there is widespread failure in the body due to infection or other complications. Nursing home abuse can lead to the onset of sepsis in some situations. Because sepsis is a life-threatening condition often resulting in the death of the individual, it is a very serious charge to sue a nursing home for this condition. Talk to a Louisville nursing home abuse lawyer at Gray & White Law.

Understanding the Sepsis Risk in Nursing Homes

Sepsis is a condition that often impacts those who are older, especially those who are over the age of 65. It can occur for many reasons, often due to the onset or worsening of an infection within the body. In a nursing home setting, there are some conditions that could lead to the development of sepsis, commonly. This includes:

Pneumonia
Urinary tract infections
Pressure ulcers like bed sores
Influenza

For example, if a nursing home staff member does not follow proper procedures related to sanitary use of a catheter, that could cause bacteria to spread into the body, leading to a urinary tract infection. If the person did not place the catheter properly or there are other situations that can cause the onset of injury, that could be considered a form of negligence. However, this must meet the rules of negligence. That is, the party should have known of the risk and not taken action to minimize it. If a family member comes in with a cold, and that cold leads to a nursing home resident developing a lung infection that becomes sepsis, the nursing home is not outright responsible.

Suing in a Sepsis Case

When sepsis occurs in a nursing home setting, it is critical that the individual receives proper care. Often, sepsis is diagnosed by doctors after labor results, sometimes due to admission into the hospital for an illness or infection. Once it is recognized that sepsis is present, the necessary next step is to determine the underlying cause. Some ways in which the nursing home may be negligent and, therefore, should be sued include:

Failure to diagnose a health condition properly
Misdiagnosing a serious health condition
Not providing the right type of medication or withholding medication
Failing to follow safety protocol that leads to the infection
Not taking the patient’s needs seriously for advanced medical care

In situations where these types of events occur, it is up to you, the victim or family member, to seek out compensation through a lawsuit. Because of how challenging these types of lawsuits can be, it is critical that you work with an attorney who can help you navigate the process. In most cases, it is possible to sue and seek compensation from those at fault when there is evidence that shows they failed to meet the duty of care expected as a nursing home facility in some way and that failure led to the condition occurring or worsening beyond treatment. Proving this takes the skill of a personal injury attorney in Louisville who understands how nursing homes operate and what evidence exists.