People over the age of 65 are 13 times more likely to develop sepsis infections than younger populations. It’s a particular problem in nursing homes, with an average of 25,000 nursing home residents each year being transferred to hospitals because of sepsis. Although this medical condition doesn’t solely occur because of negligence and abuse, those are significant causes.
If your loved one has suffered a sepsis infection in Lexington, KY, our team of nursing home abuse lawyers at Minner Vines Injury Lawyers, PLLC, can help. Learn more about sepsis infections in nursing homes and what a lawyer can do. Contact our law office at (859) 550-2900 for a free initial consultation if you need legal assistance.
How Minner Vines Injury Lawyers, PLLC Can Help You With a Sepsis Infection Claim in Lexington, KY
A nursing home should be a safe place for seniors who need help managing daily life — it should not be a place where abuse or neglect occurs. If your loved one suffered injuries like sepsis because of nursing home neglect, hiring a Lexington personal injury lawyer is vital.
At Minner Vines Injury Lawyers, PLLC, our team can help by providing many services, including:
- Assessing your claim
- Investigating how your loved one was injured
- Gathering evidence
- Negotiating with insurance companies
- Advocating for you and your loved one in court
Our Lexington nursing home abuse lawyers have 100 years of combined experience helping those who’ve suffered because of someone else’s negligence or misconduct. We’re dedicated to ensuring our clients feel listened to and respected. If your loved one has suffered sepsis in a nursing home in Lexington, Kentucky, contact our lawyers to file a claim.
Understanding How Sepsis Occurs
Sepsis happens when a person’s immune system has a dangerous reaction to an infection. When your body senses an infection, it does everything it can to fight it. Sometimes, however, the body stops fighting the bacteria, fungi, or viruses and starts attacking healthy tissue and organs. This causes widespread inflammation.
At the same time as the inflammation begins, an abnormal reaction in your blood-clotting system leads to the formation of clots in your blood vessels. This reduces the amount of blood that flows to various parts of the body.
Because sepsis infections affect so many areas of the body, symptoms can vary.
Some of the most common sepsis symptoms include:
- Low energy
- Low blood pressure
- The constant need to urinate or reduced urination
- Fast heart rate
- Chills or shaking
- Confusion
- Agitation
- Fever
- Shortness of breath or rapid breathing
- Warm or clammy skin
- Extreme pain
Bacterial infections are the most likely to lead to sepsis. Although the infection that triggers sepsis can begin anywhere in the body, the most common areas where these infections start include the respiratory system, the skin, and the urinary tract system.
How Nursing Home Abuse and Neglect Can Lead To Sepsis
Nursing home abuse and neglect can involve a variety of different behaviors. Inadequate supervision can lead residents to develop accident-related injuries that could become infected. Neglected residents with mobility issues may spend hours lying or sitting in one position without being able to readjust. That causes bed sores that easily become infected.
In people who already have an infection and are experiencing the beginning symptoms of sepsis, inadequate supervision can also mean improper wound care and delayed treatment. Because sepsis can spread so quickly throughout the body, any delay in receiving care can result in catastrophic injuries and, potentially, death.
Sepsis isn’t contagious, but many of the infections that lead to its development are. If nursing home staff maintain inadequate hygiene standards or don’t have safety protocols in place, the infections can spread between residents.
Additionally, if the nursing home staff fails to advise medical professionals that the resident needs sepsis treatment, they can be held liable for negligence.
Reasons To Hire an Experienced Nursing Home Abuse Lawyer To Handle a Sepsis Infection Case
To be able to file a personal injury claim for a loved one who suffered nursing home abuse, you need to prove that the nursing home owed your loved one a duty of care and that they breached it. You then have to demonstrate that the breach led your loved one to suffer sepsis and that they can be compensated for their losses.
All of this means gathering medical evidence. Our Lexington personal injury attorneys have contacts with expert witnesses who can provide testimony to demonstrate how the sepsis occurred and why the nursing home is liable. We can also help you monitor the statute of limitations to ensure that your claim is filed within the required deadline.
Schedule a Free Consultation With Our Lexington Nursing Home Abuse Attorneys To Discuss Your Sepsis Infection Claim
If your loved one has suffered sepsis because of neglect in a nursing home, there’s help available. With a team of Kentucky nursing home abuse lawyers guiding you, it’s possible to get compensation for what your loved one has suffered.
Contact us at Minner Vines Injury Lawyers, PLLC to speak with an experienced attorney.