Bedsores (Pressure Ulcers): Preventable or Negligent?
Bedsores—also known as pressure ulcers or decubitus ulcers—are among the most common and most preventable injuries in nursing homes, hospitals, and long-term care facilities. They develop when immobile patients are not properly repositioned, nourished, or monitored. While sometimes explained as a “natural complication” of illness or aging, many bedsores are the direct result of negligent care.
For attorneys, determining whether a pressure ulcer was unavoidable—or the product of neglect—requires careful review of medical records, care plans, and facility documentation. At Lexcura Summit Medical-Legal Consulting, we provide the expertise needed to evaluate these cases, strengthen claims, and build litigation-ready evidence.
What Are Bedsores and Why Do They Occur?
Bedsores form when continuous pressure reduces blood flow to the skin and underlying tissue. Patients at risk often include:
Those who are bedbound or wheelchair-bound
Post-surgical patients with limited mobility
Residents with poor nutrition or hydration
Individuals with neurological conditions affecting sensation
Common sites include the heels, hips, buttocks, and shoulders. Left untreated, pressure ulcers can progress to life-threatening infections such as osteomyelitis or sepsis.
When Bedsores Signal Negligence
While some patients have unavoidable risks, most severe bedsores result from inadequate care. Examples of negligence include:
Failure to reposition patients every 2 hours
Poor hygiene practices, leaving skin moist or soiled
Inadequate nutrition and hydration, impairing healing
Missed wound assessments or delayed treatment
Failure to follow a care plan designed to prevent ulcers
If records show that a patient developed Stage III or IV pressure ulcers, attorneys often argue that these injuries were entirely preventable with proper oversight.
Legal Considerations for Pressure Ulcer Cases
To establish negligence, attorneys typically investigate:
Was a risk assessment performed? Tools like the Braden Scale should be documented.
Were prevention protocols followed? Repositioning, barrier creams, and wound care must be charted.
Was the facility properly staffed? Chronic understaffing often contributes to missed care.
Was there timely documentation? Gaps in charting or falsified notes may strengthen claims.
These details can mean the difference between an unavoidable ulcer and a clear case of facility neglect.
How Lexcura Summit Strengthens Bedsore Cases
At Lexcura Summit, our team of over 200 board-certified clinicians helps attorneys by:
Reconstructing timelines of wound progression and missed interventions
Analyzing care plans and documentation for gaps in compliance
Providing narrative summaries that highlight where standards of care were breached
Developing life care plans for patients with long-term complications from infected or chronic wounds
Delivering rebuttal and defense reports for contested cases
All services are provided within 7 days (rush in 2–3), fully HIPAA-compliant, and available nationwide.
Key Takeaways
Bedsores are often preventable with proper monitoring, repositioning, and nutrition.
Severe or infected pressure ulcers frequently signal negligent care in nursing homes and hospitals.
Attorneys must analyze risk assessments, documentation, and facility staffing to establish liability.
Lexcura Summit provides chronologies, summaries, and life care plans that strengthen pressure ulcer cases.
Contact Lexcura Summit
If you’re handling a bedsore or pressure ulcer negligence case, we can help strengthen your litigation strategy.
Lexcura Summit Medical-Legal Consulting, LLC
📞 (352) 703-0703
🌐 www.lexcura-summit.com
