Pressure Ulcer Case Settles for $370,000 at Mediation

Plaintiff's 76-year-old decedent was admitted to Defendant’s Virginia nursing home in September 2022 for rehabilitation following a hospital stay for COVID-19. The decedent had a history of dementia, hypertension, and coronary artery disease. Upon admission, EMS staff noted the decedent had sustained skin tears to both buttocks during transport.

Despite facility records indicating the decedent was at high risk for pressure injuries due to limited mobility, incontinence, and existing skin damage, the nursing home allegedly failed to implement proper preventive care protocols. The facility's Minimum Data Set documentation showed no turning and repositioning program was established, contrary to standard nursing home practices for at-risk patients. Nursing staff also failed to document turning and repositioning care on multiple occasions.

The decedent developed a Stage II sacral pressure ulcer that rapidly deteriorated to Stage IV. The wound became infected, requiring hospitalization, surgical debridement procedures, and IV antibiotic treatment. The decedent developed sepsis and required multiple hospitalizations before being placed on hospice care.

Plaintiff's experts contended that defendant breached the standard of care by failing to: implement adequate turning and repositioning protocols; provide appropriate pressure-relieving devices; conduct proper wound assessments; and maintain accurate contemporaneous documentation. The death certificate listed the Stage IV sacral wound as a significant contributing factor to the decedent's death.

The case resolved for $370,000.