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Pressure Sore Negligence Claims Solicitors

A pressure sore rarely comes as a surprise to the people responsible for a patient’s care. Those most at risk are usually already in a high-risk category, and the steps that prevent these wounds are well established. When a pressure sore is allowed to develop, or is left to get worse, it can cause lasting pain, repeated surgery, serious infection and, in the most serious cases, the avoidable death of a vulnerable person. Where that harm follows a failure to meet the required standard of care, our specialist medical negligence team can help you claim the compensation you are owed.

If you or a member of your family has developed a pressure sore because of poor hospital, nursing or care home treatment, our medical negligence team can advise you. To discuss your pressure sore claim with a specialist medical negligence solicitor, please either telephone us on 01457 761 320 or email us, and a member of the team will contact you for a free, no-obligation consultation.

Understanding Pressure Sore Claims

A pressure sore, also known as a pressure ulcer or bedsore, develops when pressure is applied to prominent areas of the body for a prolonged period of time. Disrupted blood supply to the skin reduces oxygen, leading to the skin breakdown. Individuals who are immobile for prolonged periods of time due to illness, recent surgery or disability are particularly vulnerable to developing pressure sores. That risk rises with older age, poor nutrition, incontinence and reduced sensation. Pressure sores are also more likely to develop on the main pressure points on the hips, lower back, tailbone, heels, ankles and elbows.

Because these risk factors are usually clear from the moment a patient is admitted, pressure sores are widely regarded as one of the more preventable injuries in healthcare.

Read our recent guide for more information: Medical Negligence and the Rising Risk of Pressure Sores.

How Are Pressure Sores Graded

Pressure sores are graded from 1 to 4, which usually guides the required treatment. Treating pressure sores involves assessing and documenting any changes in the wound, ensuring the wound is cleaned and dressed, and referring for specialist review if there is a significant change in the wound’s condition. Serious cases may require debridement or even amputation, but all cases carry a risk of infection, which can affect the patient’s overall health and well-being.

Are All Pressure Sores Caused by Negligence?

Not every sore is the result of negligent care. Some patients are so unwell, or their skin so fragile, that a sore can develop despite everything reasonable being done to prevent it. These are sometimes described as unavoidable pressure sores.  A pressure sore negligence claim therefore looks not simply at whether a sore developed, but whether the care a patient received fell below the standard of a reasonable body of medical opinion, and whether that failure caused or materially contributed to the injury and loss they suffered.

Types of Pressure Sore Negligence Claims We Can Help With

The specialist medical negligence team at O’Donnell Solicitors has helped many clients who developed a pressure sore through poor nursing or care home treatment recover compensation for the harm caused. We regularly advise on pressure sore claims arising from failings in hospitals, nursing homes, care homes and community care, including:

  • Failure to carry out/repeat a Waterlow assessment.
  • Failure to implement/follow a pressure-relieving regime.
  • Failure to reposition a patient often enough.
  • Failure to appropriately treat a pressure sore.
  • Failure to inspect the skin and recognise the early signs of a sore.
  • Failure to refer a patient for specialist tissue viability/plastic surgery assessment and treatment in a timely manner. 
  • Pressure sores that become infected and led to further illness, including sepsis.
  • Fatal claims and inquests arising from the complications of a serious or untreated pressure sore.

For more information on how a medical negligence claim works, including time limits, funding and compensation, please see our main Medical Negligence page.

Medical Negligence Homepage

How Should Pressure Sores Be Prevented and Treated?

Clear national guidance sets out how pressure sores should be prevented and, where they do appear, how they should be managed. The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guidance recommends that any patient with reduced mobility should have a Waterlow Assessment to assess their risk of developing pressure sores. That assessment should be performed at the outset and then repeated throughout the period of immobility, and if there is any change in the patient’s condition.

Preventing pressure sores requires checking pressure areas for sore development, ensuring patients are repositioned regularly, and providing pressure-relieving apparatus, such as specialist mattresses and cushions, where needed.

Once a sore has developed, good management can still stop it worsening. That means recording any change in the wound, keeping it clean and properly dressed, and making a prompt referral for specialist tissue visibility or plastic surgery input where the wound is deteriorating. Serious sores may need the surgical removal of dead tissue, known as debridement, and in the worst cases, amputation. Every open pressure sore also carries a risk of infection, which can spread and threaten a patient’s wider health. An untreated infection can develop into sepsis, which is why a sore that looks minor at first should never be left unchecked.

Why Choose O’Donnell Solicitors for Your Pressure Sore Negligence Claim

O’Donnell Solicitors’ Medical Negligence Department is headed by Kenneth Lees and supported by a team with over a decade of combined experience in clinical negligence litigation. We offer a free, no-obligation initial consultation, and the vast majority of claims can be funded by way of a no-win, no-fee agreement. As a regional firm acting for clients across the North West, we combine specialist expertise with a personal and accessible service.

Local Medical Negligence Solicitors Throughout Saddleworth and Oldham

We recognise how daunting making a medical negligence claim can be and have taken great care to create a modern, welcoming environment for our clients to visit us. Our three office locations in Uppermill Village and Grasscroft offer convenience and accessible legal services to our visiting clients. We are also able to provide online appointments as and where our clients prefer. In some cases, and where required, we can deliver our entire service remotely.

Speak to a Medical Negligence Specialist Today

If you would like to discuss your medical negligence claim with a specialist medical negligence solicitor, please email us or telephone 01457 761 320 and a member of the team will contact you for a free, no obligation discussion.

Frequently Asked Questions About Pressure Sore Claims

A pressure sore negligence claim is a compensation claim brought when a patient develops a pressure sore, or an existing sore is allowed to worsen, because the care they received fell below a reasonable standard. Common examples include a failure to assess a patient’s risk, a failure to reposition them or provide pressure-relieving equipment, and a failure to treat or refer a sore once it appeared. The claim must show that the poor care caused or materially contributed to the injury the patient suffered.

Yes. Care homes and nursing homes owe their residents a duty to protect them from avoidable harm, and that includes assessing the risk of pressure sores and taking steps to prevent them. Where a resident develops a sore because that duty was not met, a claim can be brought against the home. We advise on claims against NHS hospitals, private hospitals, nursing homes, care homes and community care providers.

Not every pressure sore is the result of negligence, as some can develop despite good care in a very unwell or high-risk patient. The question is whether the care provided met the standard expected of a responsible body of medical opinion. Independent expert evidence, together with the medical and care records, is used to establish whether the risk was properly assessed and managed, and whether any failing caused the sore or allowed it to deteriorate. Our team investigates this thoroughly and instructs the right experts to assess your case.

Compensation for pressure sore claims depends on the severity of the injury and its effect on the person’s life. General damages compensate for the pain, suffering and loss of amenity caused by the sore, including any lasting scarring or reduced mobility. Special damages cover financial losses such as the cost of treatment, care and assistance, specialist equipment, and, where relevant, loss of earnings and adaptations to the home. In the most serious cases, involving amputation or long-term disability, compensation can be substantial.

In most cases a medical negligence claim must be started within three years of the date of the injury, or the date you first became aware that negligent care may have caused it. Different rules apply for children, where the three-year period runs from their eighteenth birthday, for people who lack the mental capacity to manage a claim, where the time limit may not apply while that is the case, and in fatal cases, where limitation may run from the date of death. Because these rules can be complex, it is best to seek advice as early as possible.

Yes. Where a family member has died as a result of a pressure sore or its complications, the person entitled to administer their estate can bring a claim on behalf of the estate and any dependants. This can include compensation for the pain and suffering endured before death, the statutory bereavement award, funeral costs, and loss of dependency. Please see our fatal claims and inquests page for more information.

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