Nursing Home Neglect Attorney in Columbia, Illinois

Injuries due to nursing home neglect and abuse are becoming increasingly common. Columbia lawyer Stephen C. Buser has more than 30 years of experience and a successful track record representing families whose loved ones have suffered injuries in nursing homes in Metro East, Southern Illinois, and Missouri.

Lawyer Stephen C. Buser represented an elderly nursing home resident who died after developing Stage IV decubitus ulcers (bed sores) only a few weeks after being admitted to a nursing home. Photographs by the family showed that her spine and internal organs were visible as a result of the severity of the pressure ulcers, which are caused by an immobile patient not being moved or repositioned, dehydration, malnutrition, or other causes. Medical evidence proved that the woman died from sepsis (blood poisoning) as a result of the ulcers rather than for other reasons as contended by the nursing home. As a result of the wrongful death lawsuit, the lawyer obtained compensation for the surviving family members and held the nursing home accountable for its substandard care.

Many cases of nursing home neglect can be traced to understaffing, which is also blamed for the inappropriate use of physical restraints, and overuse of sedatives. Understaffing also causes stress and a lack of monitoring, which sometimes leads to physical abuse of residents.

If your loved one’s injuries in a nursing home may be due to neglect or abuse, contact lawyer Stephen C. Buser for a free initial consultation. The lawyer has a track record of successful settlement and jury trials in personal injury cases throughout Southern Illinois and Missouri.

Free consultation: Contact Columbia and Metro East nursing home injury lawyer Stephen C. Buser for a free initial consultation about your case. All cases are handled on a contingency fee basis, which means there are no costs unless the lawyer makes a recovery for you by settlement or trial.

Bed Sores/Pressure Sores Can Be a Sign of Neglect — Contact a Lawyer

What starts out as a bed sore or pressure sore may lead to serious medical complications, including infections, gangrene, and even death. Nursing homes are aware of the serious threat to residents from untreated bed sores or pressure sores, but, unfortunately, they often fail to provide adequate care to prevent them from developing or prevent them from becoming worse. The Law Office of Stephen C. Buser, Ltd. protects the rights of residents of nursing homes who have been seriously injured as a result of nursing home abuse and neglect in Southern Illinois and the St. Louis Metropolitan Area.

Experienced Lawyer. Exceptional Results. Contact the Law Office of Stephen C. Buser, Ltd.

When a person enters a nursing home, it is the responsibility of the nursing home staff to perform a proper assessment, develop a corresponding care plan, and ensure the care plan is properly implemented. Nursing homes are aware that the failure to properly perform any of these steps may lead to serious injuries or death, which are a common source of nursing home neglect and/or abuse claims.

Bed sores/pressure sores (also known as decubitus ulcers) can result from inadequate nutrition, dehydration, and unrelieved pressure on various parts of a resident’s body due to impaired mobility caused by strokes, fractures, or other medical conditions. The nursing home has a responsibility to ensure adequate care is provided to prevent bed sores/pressure sores from developing and to provide adequate treatment to heal bed sores/pressure sores that developed prior to admission to the nursing home.

Bed sores/pressure sores are classified into four distinct stages under federal standards. It is very important that nursing homes provide adequate care to residents who have bed sores/pressure sores in the early stages of development so that they do not progress into the latter stages which can result in various types of infections, gangrene, and death. In such cases, photographs of the bed sores/pressure sores are very important in proving neglect or abuse that has occurred from the failure to properly treat and/or prevent bed sores/pressure sores.

When nursing homes fail to provide proper treatment of bed sores/pressure sores, it can lead to serious injuries or death.

Contact an Attorney Immediately

Contact attorney Stephen C. Buser with over thirty years of experience in representing nursing home residents and/or their family members whose loved ones have suffered neglect and/or abuse. All cases are handled on a contingency fee basis, meaning that no attorney’s fees are charged unless there is a recovery. Contact the offices today for a free initial consultation.

Injuries Caused by Nursing Home Falls

Neglect and abuse claims against nursing homes are often the result of residents who are injured when they fall on the premises or wander off due to inadequate supervision or improper restraint. If you or a loved one was injured in a fall or as a result of wandering off the premises, contact the Law Offices of Stephen C. Buser, Ltd., in Columbia, Illinois, for evaluation of your claim.

Experienced Lawyer. Exceptional Results. Contact the Law Office of Stephen C. Buser, Ltd.

All nursing homes are aware that nursing home residents are often at risk for injuries because of wandering off into unsafe areas and/or falling on the premises. Electronic monitoring bracelets can be used to prevent nursing home residents from wandering off the premises or entering dangerous places within the nursing home. Restraint devices are also available to prevent nursing home residents who are at risk for falls from being injured. Proper assessment by nursing home staff of the resident’s needs for adequate supervision and restraint devices is required, but often lacking.

Attorney Stephen C. Buser has seen first-hand what can happen to residents who suffer a serious fall or injury caused by wandering off. Based on the awareness of nursing homes of the possibility, if not likelihood, that residents may be injured by falls inside the facility or from wandering off, nursing homes have an affirmative duty to take adequate steps to protect residents from such harm. Failure to properly develop and implement a care plan to prevent nursing home residents from falling and wandering off is a form of nursing home neglect and abuse. Attorney Stephen C. Buser and his staff are available to consult with you to advise you and your family members of your rights regarding inadequate supervision resulting in injuries by falls or wandering off.

Contact a Lawyer for Help

The Law Office of Stephen C. Buser, Ltd. is ready to answer your questions and file a legal action, if warranted, to protect the rights of you or a loved one for injuries caused by nursing home neglect or abuse. We represent personal injury clients on a contingency fee basis, meaning no attorney’s fees are charged unless there is a recovery. Contact them today for a free initial consultation.

Nursing Home Physical & Sexual Abuse Claims

Nursing homes have an absolute duty to their residents to provide a safe environment that will prevent physical and sexual abuse by other residents, employees, or others. If you or a loved one has been physically or sexually abused while a resident in a nursing home, it is important to take action immediately. The Law Office of Stephen C. Buser, Ltd., with offices in Columbia, Illinois, protects the rights of nursing home residents who have suffered abuse and neglect in Southern Illinois and the St. Louis Metropolitan Area.

Experienced Lawyer. Exceptional Results. Contact the Law Office of Stephen C. Buser, Ltd.

Among the duties of a nursing home to protect their residents from harm is the requirement that it properly screen all employees for prior criminal conduct or other past behavior that may endanger the safety of nursing home residents. Nursing homes also have a duty to monitor their residents so they cannot cause physical harm to other residents, including, but not limited to, sexual and physical abuse. Failure to provide these basic services is a form of nursing home neglect and abuse that can never be tolerated.

When nursing homes place profits above the adequate safety of their residents who may be physically or sexually injured because of inadequate supervision of other residents, employees, or others on the premises, lack of staffing, or failure to properly screen employees, there are unnecessary increased risks of harm to residents who deserve to live in a safe and secure environment. Personal injury lawyer Stephen C. Buser has represented numerous clients who have suffered injuries as a result of a wide range of physical and sexual abuse and neglect in nursing homes or similar facilities. With over thirty years of personal injury trial experience, attorney Stephen C. Buser has obtained successful recoveries for persons, unable to protect themselves, who were injured as a result of physical and sexual abuse and neglect.

Contact an Experienced Attorney Now

If you or a loved one has been the victim of sexual or physical abuse in a nursing home, it is time to contact the Law Office of Stephen C. Buser, Ltd. who is prepared to answer your questions and take the legal action that may be required. The firm handles all cases on a contingency fee basis, meaning no attorney’s fees are charged unless there is a recovery. Contact them today for a free initial consultation.