If you or a family member has been affected by gangrene while living in a nursing home, we invite you to contact Bobby Jones Law. When gangrene causes loss of tissue or the amputation of a limb, it may be the result of general negligence or medical negligence.
Caregivers have a duty of reasonable care for people who live in nursing homes. A victim may have a legal claim for compensation.
Robert “Bobby” Jones of Bobby Jones Law represents vulnerable people in our communities including people who live in care facilities. We invite you to contact our Greenville nursing home abuse lawyer to talk to a lawyer about your situation.
What Is Gangrene?
Gangrene occurs when a lack of blood flow causes tissue death. When blood supply is inadequate, the tissue doesn’t receive adequate oxygen. In addition, bacterial infection may damage body tissue. The result may be tissue death in the affected area.
There are different types of gangrene. It may be dry or wet. Dry gangrene is usually the result of a lack of blood flow, while wet gangrene is more commonly the result of infection.
What causes gangrene?
The body’s tissues need oxygen to function. The tissues use oxygen to grow, break down food, create energy and reproduce. Without oxygen, the tissues cannot operate. They may start to die. Death of tissue in a certain part of the body is gangrene.
Certain medical conditions may increase the risk of gangrene including diabetes, atherosclerosis, peripheral arterial disease and other medical conditions that damage or narrow blood vessels.
Gangrene and Bedsores in Nursing Homes
One common cause of gangrene in nursing homes is bedsores. Bedsores are the result of pressure injuries which may be caused, in part, by a lack of blood flow and oxygen. In addition, bedsores leave the body exposed and vulnerable to infection. Bacterial infection may cause the gangrene to widen and spread.
Caregivers may not have provided adequate medical care to prevent bedsores. They may not have treated bedsores properly or addressed complications before gangrene developed. The harm that the victim suffers may have been preventable.
Gangrene and amputations
Treatment for gangrene usually requires the removal of dead tissue. Amputation may be necessary where other methods of tissue removal are not likely to be successful. Amputating the affected area can prevent the gangrene from spreading and damaging healthy tissue. Having the tissue amputated may allow the person to use prosthetics that improve function and mobility.
Legal Representation for Gangrene in a Nursing Home
Nursing homes often blame the victims, citing medical conditions that increase risk like diabetes or obesity. However, standards of due care and adequate medical care apply even when a person is medically vulnerable or living in a care home. The nursing home must take the person’s medical condition into account when providing routine, daily care and specialized medical care.
Gangrene and nursing home abuse and neglect
Whether gangrene is the result of nursing home abuse and neglect depends on why the gangrene developed and how it was treated. If the gangrene is caused by bedsores, adequate medical care may have prevented the bedsores or allowed them to heal without the development of gangrene. Whether the person received adequate care is an individual determination that depends on the facts of the specific circumstances.
Successfully pursuing compensation and justice for a nursing home victim for gangrene and amputation of a limb may require expert medical evidence to explain standards of reasonable care. The expert may explain how negligence occurred, how it contributed to the development of gangrene and the necessity of amputation or tissue removal.
Lawyer Robert “Bobby” Jones carefully builds the medical and factual evidence to show how negligence and medical negligence may have occurred. He works on behalf of each client to pursue justice and financial compensation that reflects the harm that the victim has endured.
Legal consultations for victims
If you or a loved one has suffered from gangrene and loss of tissue or a limb while living in a nursing home, we invite you to contact our team at Bobby Jones Law. Talk to lawyer Bobby Jones about your situation and discover how we may help. Call or message us now.
