Morris Haynes represented a Vietnam veteran who lives in Phenix City, Alabama who developed the most severe pressure ulcer – a stage 4 – on his sacrum while a patient in a hospital in Columbus, Georgia. The medical staff at the hospital did not properly turn him and reposition him every two hours as required by their policies and procedures.
Pressure ulcers are injuries to the skin and underlying tissue primarily caused by prolonged pressure on the skin. They can be prevented by reducing pressure on the affected skin by repositioning the patient every two hours. A stage 4 pressure ulcer affects many layers of the skin including the muscle and bone. Pressure ulcers are a “never event” according to the Centers for Medicaid and Medicare Services and should never happen in a hospital because they are preventable.
Our client did not have a pressure ulcer when he went into the hospital, but as a result of the negligence of the medical staff at the hospital our client developed a pressure ulcer 3 days after admission. Our client was insured by Medicare and Medicare did not pay for our client’s medical treatment in the hospital for the pressure ulcer because it developed in the hospital and was preventable.
If you or your family member or friend know someone who has developed a pressure ulcer in a hospital or a nursing home please contact Morris Haynes for a free case evaluation.