FutureCare Bedsore Lawsuit in Baltimore

Stafford v. FutureCare Charles Village, LLC

This is a wrongful death nursing home lawsuit filed in Baltimore City after a woman develops multiple, severe pressure ulcers after residing at a FutureCare facility for just two months. On March 21, 2017 it was filed in Health Claims Arbitration, making it the 132^nd medical malpractice case filed in 2017. It is the fourth lawsuit filed against a FutureCare facility this year.

Summary of Plaintiff's Allegations

A woman is taken to defendant FutureCare Charles Village for short-term rehabilitation and therapy after being hospitalized for three weeks at Sinai Hospital. According to Medicare, this is a pretty average facility During her admission, her skin is found to be intact. However, within two months, she develops pressure ulcers on her sacrum, right buttocks, and left leg. The sacral pressure ulcer is found to be unstageable, with 30% dead tissue, and surgical debridement of the wound is done. However, the wound progress to stage 4, and she has a total of four additional debridement procedures done. These additional procedures are necessary as the staff at FutureCare fails to provide adequate wound care and pressure relief.

Less than five months after her admission to FutureCare, she asks to be transferred home. She is released with a large decubitus ulcer and a poor prognosis. Over the next twelve months, she is hospitalized three days for her sacral pressure ulcer. She develops complications including osteomyelitis and sepsis. She eventually passes away, and her cause of death was found to be sepsis secondary to an infected sacral decubitus ulcer.

Additional Comments

• This case might have more value than many bedsore wrongful death cases because the patient received a good bit of care before she passed. FutureCare is likely to argue that the sepsis and osteomyelitis were caused by some other health condition.
• Our law firm enjoyed a major win against FutureCare last year that not only helped our client but helped every wrongful death bed sore plaintiff in Maryland.
• Interestingly, FutureCare Charles Village has a bedsore incidence rate below the Maryland average for short-stay residents. It is higher than the state average for bedsores with long-term residents. Click on FutureCare Charles Village link above for the statistics.
• This is the fourth lawsuit filed against FutureCare in 2017. You can find the list here.
• We have written about so many nursing home bedsore cases that it is hard to make any new insightful points. Suffice to say, this just should not happen.
• The chances of this case going to trial is extremely low. FutureCare will likely fight the claim on every possible level and then settle the case long before trial.

Jurisdiction

• Baltimore City

Defendants

• FutureCare, Charles Village, LLC

Hospitals Where Patient was Treated

• Sinai Hospital

Negligence

• Failure to adequately and timely diagnose and treat medical conditions
• Failure to provide adequate pressure relief and consistently turn and reposition the woman
• Failure to develop, implement, and update a comprehensive care plan to prevent pressure ulcers
• Failure to maintain an accurate and complete clinical record
• Failure to ensure appropriate routine medical and nursing care
• Failure to adequately and timely assess, diagnose and treat skin breakdowns and pressure ulcers

Specific Counts Pled

• Professional Negligence
• Wrongful Death

More Malpractice Claim Information

• Take a look at some sample verdicts and settlements in Maryland nursing home wrongful death cases
• Other cases filed against FutureCare facilities:
  • A nursing home fall lawsuit filed against Bay Manor Nursing Home
  • A case filed against FutureCare Pineview alleging the failure to give physical therapy and bed sores
  • A nursing home wrongful death lawsuit filed against FutureCare Chesapeake

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