At Wieand Law Firm, our experienced nursing home negligence attorneys have seen firsthand how inadequate staffing contributes to serious injuries and tragic outcomes. Pressure ulcers, also known as bedsores or decubitus ulcers, are a painful and dangerous condition that affects thousands of nursing home residents each year. While these wounds are largely preventable, they continue to occur at alarming rates—especially in understaffed facilities where residents are not receiving the care they need and deserve.
If your loved one has developed pressure ulcers while living in a nursing home, it could be a sign of negligence. We offer free consultations to help families understand their legal rights and options.
Pressure ulcers are injuries to the skin and underlying tissue caused by prolonged pressure, friction, or shear. They typically occur in areas of the body where bones are close to the skin, such as the heels, hips, tailbone, elbows, and back.
The Four Stages of Pressure Ulcers:
In severe cases, residents may also develop unstageable pressure ulcers or deep tissue injuries, which are difficult to assess due to necrotic tissue or bruising beneath intact skin.
Pressure ulcers are almost always preventable with proper care. When nursing homes fail to maintain adequate staffing levels, the risk of these injuries increases significantly. Our Philadelphia nursing home negligence attorneys routinely investigate facilities where lapses in care are routine rather than rare.
The connection between pressure ulcers and understaffing is supported by numerous studies. A 2023 publication in JAMA Network Open found that staffing instability—especially among RNs and CNAs—is associated with poorer quality outcomes and increased emergency visits.
The American Health Care Association (AHCA) reports that staffing shortages remain severe across nursing homes, hindering their ability to deliver consistent care. In this environment, it’s often only a matter of time before residents begin to suffer preventable harm. Our Philadelphia nursing home negligence attorneys investigate staffing records, training logs, and turnover rates as part of every case we take on.
Key Care Failures That Lead to Pressure Ulcers:
Pressure ulcers are not minor injuries—they cause immense pain, lead to serious infections like sepsis, and often result in hospitalizations or death. For residents who cannot speak for themselves, these wounds are a silent cry for help. For families, discovering that a loved one has developed bedsores can be devastating.
No one should suffer because a facility prioritized profits over people. If your loved one has developed pressure ulcers in a nursing home, our Philadelphia nursing home negligence attorneys urge you not to ignore it. These injuries demand answers—and accountability.
Families have the right to expect that their loved ones will receive basic, competent care in a nursing facility. When this standard is violated—particularly in cases where a resident develops pressure ulcers due to neglect—it’s not just a failure of care, but a breach of duty that may warrant legal action. Pressure ulcers, also known as bedsores, are often preventable injuries that result from prolonged pressure on the skin, typically due to immobility and inadequate attention from staff. Their presence can be a clear indicator of systemic issues such as understaffing, poor training, or willful disregard of care protocols.
Legal recourse plays a vital role in holding nursing homes accountable for such negligence. Legal recourse plays a vital role in holding nursing homes accountable for such negligence. For instance, a New Jersey jury awarded $13 million to the family of a nursing home resident who died from complications related to preventable pressure sores—an outcome of what the jury found to be systemic neglect and understaffing. This case highlighted the importance of transparency and reinforced the need for facilities to follow care protocols and maintain proper staffing ratios.
Families may choose to file a lawsuit not only to seek compensation for medical expenses, pain and suffering, or even wrongful death, but also to drive broader change within the long-term care system. A successful legal claim can compel a facility to implement corrective measures, improve staff training, or revise policies to prevent further harm to residents. In some cases, litigation may also involve state regulatory bodies or trigger investigations that lead to fines, sanctions, or even closure of persistently negligent facilities.
While pursuing legal action can be emotionally taxing, it is often a necessary step toward justice and advocacy. Consulting with a Philadelphia personal injury lawyer at the Wieand Law Firm can help families navigate their rights and determine the best course of action. Ultimately, by holding facilities accountable, families not only honor the dignity of their own loved ones but help ensure a safer, more compassionate standard of care for all nursing home residents.
At Wieand Law Firm, we have extensive experience handling complex nursing home abuse and neglect cases in Pennsylvania and New Jersey. We understand the medical, legal, and emotional components of these claims, and we are committed to achieving accountability.
Here’s how we can help:
Our Philadelphia nursing home negligence attorneys work on a contingency fee basis, meaning you pay nothing unless we win your case.
Depending on the circumstances, families may be entitled to compensation for:
If your loved one has developed pressure ulcers while in a nursing home, don’t assume it’s just “part of aging.” These injuries are often a sign of systemic neglect, especially in understaffed or poorly managed facilities.
Call the Wieand Law Firm today for a free consultation with an experienced Philadelphia nursing home negligence attorney. We’ll evaluate your case, explain your legal options, and fight to hold negligent care providers accountable.
