Chicago Bedsore Attorneys

What Is a Bedsore?

Pressure sores, also known as bedsores, are a type of injury caused by prolonged pressure on the skin that causes damage to the skin and underlying tissue. At the points where an individual’s body connects with a surface—often a bed or chair—for extended periods of time, blood is cut off from those parts of the body. This can cause bruising over time and can eventually lead to open sores that cause serious infection and, potentially, death.

Bedsores are classified into four stages, with the first being the least severe and the last being the most:

• Stage One: These mild bedsores only affect the topmost layer of the skin and may cause redness, itching, burning, and/or some pain. If you or a loved one has these symptoms, it is imperative to treat the bedsore before it reaches a higher stage.
• Stage Two: The affected area will start to appear more obviously damaged and may feature discoloration, pain, open sores, and/or blisters.
• Stage Three: At this stage, the damage has penetrated the top layers of skin and bedsores have a crater like appearance.
• State Four: The damage has reached underlying tissue resulting in a large, painful wound. The risk of serious infection and damage to muscles, tendons, joints, and bones is more severe at this state.

At nursing homes, bedsores are most commonly caused by neglect. If, for example, a bedridden patient who needs help adjusting every so often is ignored by their caregiver, the caregiver can then be held legally responsible for any damages caused by bedsores that developed as a result of the neglect.

Bedsores are most likely to develop on skin that covers bony areas of the body, such as the ankles, heels, hips, and tailbone, as well as the buttocks and shoulder area. However, a bedsore can form on any part of the body that comes into prolonged contact with a surface.