Are contractures preventable?

Contractures in a nursing home setting are often preventable. Knowing a resident’s risk factors, including immobility, dementia, and neuromuscular disorders, allows nursing home staff to develop a care plan that prioritizes the prevention of contracture injuries. In some instances, contractures are likely to occur in advanced stages of disease progression, such as in the later stages of dementia. Contractures that occur due to disease progression may not always be fully preventable. However, even in these instances, providing the right care may be able to delay or minimize contracture. Although contractures may not always be preventable, they are reason enough to consider that neglect or abuse may be occurring in a nursing home. Many contractures are preventable, so it’s worth having experienced attorneys review the facts to evaluate whether nursing home negligence is to blame for the condition.

How does nursing home neglect cause contractures?

Contractures generally occur when the muscles remain contracted for a prolonged period of time. In nursing home residents whose mobility is restricted because of their medical concerns, measures like range of motion exercises, splints, and regular repositioning can go a long way toward reducing the risk of contractures. Failing to utilize these strategies can constitute neglect on the part of the nursing home and its staff. Skilled nursing facilities have an obligation to take precautions to prevent contractures in patients whose medical needs put them at risk of these serious complications.

When can you sue a nursing home for contractures?

To sue a nursing home for contractures, you generally need to establish that the facility or its staff has been negligent in its treatment of the resident. Our Tallahassee contracture injury lawyers establish negligent management of contractures in the nursing home by presenting arguments based on evidence like the following: Video footage that shows neglect, abuse, or the development of contracture Photographs of deformities resulting from contracture The injured resident’s medical records that demonstrate the changes that occurred before and after nursing home neglect led to the development of contractures The nursing home’s treatment plan for the resident and logs or charts of how the patient was actually monitored and treated, including whether precautions such as repositioning, range of motion exercises, and splinting were taken The nursing home’s policies, including preventive care policies, staffing policies, training policies, and hiring policies Without evidence that establishes that the nursing home’s failures to implement precautions preventing contractures constitute a breach of the facility’s duty to the resident and that this negligence was the causation of the contracture, you won’t be able to recover compensation. Claims for contracture management in nursing homes are complicated, requiring the services of seasoned attorneys.

How can contractures be treated?

The damage that results from contractures is often irreversible, but that doesn’t mean residents harmed by nursing home negligence have no hope for improvement. Patients may recover some function in the affected limbs through interventions like the following: Restorative nursing care methods Medications like muscle relaxants Nerve block treatments Electrical stimulation Physical therapy Splinting Contracture surgery to lengthen muscles and repair damaged tendons and ligaments Treatment for contractures can take a long time to result in noticeable improvements, and in the meantime, the condition and efforts to increase the movement of the affected muscles can cause considerable pain. Treating contractures can also be expensive, especially if surgery is needed. Pursuing a claim against the negligent nursing home that allowed the contracture to develop can help residents and their families afford the best possible care for a muscle contracture injury.

Brooks, LeBoeuf, Foster, Gwartney, & Hobbs P.A./

Tallahassee Nursing Home Negligence Lawyers/

Contractures

Tallahassee Contracture Injury Lawyers

Contracture Injury Attorneys in Tallahassee, FL Advocating for Victims of Neglect in Leon County, Wakulla County, Jefferson County, Gadsden County, and Throughout Florida

For too many nursing home residents, neglect leads to a painful stiffening of joints and shortening of muscles. Called contractures, these conditions can further restrict movement in patients already affected by limited mobility. The experienced Tallahassee contracture injury lawyers at Brooks, LeBoeuf, Foster, Gwartney, & Hobbs P.A. have a long history of investigating nursing homes to uncover negligence that contributed to contractures.

We’re here to guide your family through the legal process and protect the rights of nursing home residents. Contact us today to have your case reviewed for free by knowledgeable contracture injury attorneys in Tallahassee, FL.

Claims for Preventable Nursing Home Contracture Injuries in Tallahassee, FL

In the course of normal movements, the body’s muscles flex and contract. When the muscles remain contracted for too long, they can actually get stuck that way, freezing in that position. This tightening of the muscles can be painful, disfiguring, and debilitating, further impairing mobility.

When contracture develops, the following effects can occur:

The joints get stiff
Muscle fibers break down, causing the muscle to become tight and shortened
The limb can become rigid and may even begin to pull in toward the body

Contracture is one example of a complication in which preventive measures are well worth it to avoid the long, difficult efforts to treat and correct it. While patients suffering from contractures may be able to see some functional improvement with restorative care efforts, making progress can take a long time and considerable medical intervention.

Nursing homes can take proactive steps to prevent contractures, including:

Assessing patients’ individual risk based on their medical conditions and mobility
Providing range of motion exercises and physical therapy
Regularly repositioning residents whose mobility is limited
Using splinting devices that include braces, boots, and wrist splints for residents who need them

Nursing home residents often enter the facility with mobility limitations, neurological disorders, and other risk factors for contracture. Nursing homes should ensure that each resident is evaluated for contracture risk and that their plan of care encompasses appropriate precautions, such as regular repositioning and the introduction of range of motion exercises. Failing to implement these precautions in situations that warrant them can constitute neglect.

With the help of contracture injury attorneys in Tallahassee, FL, residents harmed by nursing home negligence and their families can secure compensation for their medical bills, pain and suffering, and other losses.

How Brooks, LeBoeuf, Foster, Gwartney, & Hobbs P.A. Can Help

Contractures often develop out of nursing home neglect. The Tallahassee contracture injury lawyers at Brooks, LeBoeuf, Foster, Gwartney, & Hobbs P.A. help clients hold nursing home facilities and their staff legally and financially responsible for the harm contractures cause.

Investigating Nursing Home Neglect in Contracture Cases

Preventable contractures indicate repeated, potentially long-term neglect. This condition doesn’t result from a single isolated mistake. It takes days of prolonged immobility in a contracted position, at a minimum, for a muscle to develop contracture.

A nursing home contracture lawyer at Brooks, LeBoeuf, Foster, Gwartney, & Hobbs P.A. can determine whether the facility failed to implement reasonable preventive measures and present evidence, such as expert witness testimony, that establishes how this failure constitutes negligence.

Seeking Compensation for the Full Scope of Contracture Effects

Our goal as your contracture injury attorneys in Tallahassee, FL, will be to secure compensation for the full extent of your losses arising out of this injury and any other negligence on the part of the nursing home. We will consider all of the effects of the contracture on your life as we build a strong claim for compensation, including:

Medical bills, such as the cost of muscle relaxer medications, physical therapy, and surgical treatments for contractures
The considerable pain and suffering this debilitating injury can cause
The loss of quality of life that results from the further mobility limitations caused by contractures
Disfigurement due to muscle contracture

Contracture can increase a nursing home resident’s risk for other complications, including bed sores and fall injuries. We take into account the full situation and pursue compensation for any further complications that arise, as well.

Why Choose Brooks, LeBoeuf, Foster, Gwartney, & Hobbs P.A.?

When choosing Tallahassee contracture injury lawyers with the skills to handle these complex claims and get to the bottom of nursing home negligence, you need to consider factors like experience, the scope of a law firm’s knowledge, and how the firm makes legal help affordable and accessible.

Decades of Legal Experience

Legal experience matters when holding nursing homes and their staff accountable for long-term neglect. At Brooks, LeBoeuf, Foster, Gwartney, & Hobbs P.A., we have been practicing law in Florida for more than 35 years. Our Tallahassee contracture injury lawyers have more than 100 years of combined experience. We have assisted clients with more than 10,000 cases, fighting for their legal rights and their best interests.

Knowledge of All Forms of Nursing Home Negligence

Unfortunately, the contractures may not be the only consequence of the negligence your loved one suffered. Our attorneys represent clients in claims arising out of all varieties of nursing home neglect and abuse. We’re prepared to fully investigate the care your loved one received at the nursing home and identify all potential defendants, negligent actions, and consequences of mistreatment.

Free Consultations and Contingency Fee Services

Costs should never stand in the way of getting justice or financial compensation for nursing home neglect, but we know many families worry about the financial burden. Brooks, LeBoeuf, Foster, Gwartney, & Hobbs P.A. begins every case with a free consultation so you can explore your options at no cost. We represent clients in nursing home neglect and personal injury claims on a contingency basis, allowing you to receive the legal help you need without paying upfront fees.

Contact the Tallahassee Contracture Injury Lawyers at Brooks, LeBoeuf, Foster, Gwartney, & Hobbs P.A. Today for a Free Consultation

The longer you wait to get help for contractures, the harder it is to reverse the damage and prevent further complications. Families should seek medical evaluation and treatment for an injured nursing home resident right away and promptly consult legal counsel to investigate how the damage occurred.

For help from contracture injury attorneys in Tallahassee, FL, contact Brooks, LeBoeuf, Foster, Gwartney, & Hobbs P.A. online or call 850-605-3555 today.

Frequently Asked Questions About Contracture Injury Claims in Tallahassee and Throughout Florida

Contractures in a nursing home setting are often preventable. Knowing a resident’s risk factors, including immobility, dementia, and neuromuscular disorders, allows nursing home staff to develop a care plan that prioritizes the prevention of contracture injuries.
In some instances, contractures are likely to occur in advanced stages of disease progression, such as in the later stages of dementia. Contractures that occur due to disease progression may not always be fully preventable. However, even in these instances, providing the right care may be able to delay or minimize contracture.
Although contractures may not always be preventable, they are reason enough to consider that neglect or abuse may be occurring in a nursing home. Many contractures are preventable, so it’s worth having experienced attorneys review the facts to evaluate whether nursing home negligence is to blame for the condition.
Contractures generally occur when the muscles remain contracted for a prolonged period of time. In nursing home residents whose mobility is restricted because of their medical concerns, measures like range of motion exercises, splints, and regular repositioning can go a long way toward reducing the risk of contractures.
Failing to utilize these strategies can constitute neglect on the part of the nursing home and its staff. Skilled nursing facilities have an obligation to take precautions to prevent contractures in patients whose medical needs put them at risk of these serious complications.
To sue a nursing home for contractures, you generally need to establish that the facility or its staff has been negligent in its treatment of the resident. Our Tallahassee contracture injury lawyers establish negligent management of contractures in the nursing home by presenting arguments based on evidence like the following:
Video footage that shows neglect, abuse, or the development of contracture
Photographs of deformities resulting from contracture
The injured resident’s medical records that demonstrate the changes that occurred before and after nursing home neglect led to the development of contractures
The nursing home’s treatment plan for the resident and logs or charts of how the patient was actually monitored and treated, including whether precautions such as repositioning, range of motion exercises, and splinting were taken
The nursing home’s policies, including preventive care policies, staffing policies, training policies, and hiring policies
Without evidence that establishes that the nursing home’s failures to implement precautions preventing contractures constitute a breach of the facility’s duty to the resident and that this negligence was the causation of the contracture, you won’t be able to recover compensation. Claims for contracture management in nursing homes are complicated, requiring the services of seasoned attorneys.
The damage that results from contractures is often irreversible, but that doesn’t mean residents harmed by nursing home negligence have no hope for improvement.
Patients may recover some function in the affected limbs through interventions like the following:
Restorative nursing care methods
Medications like muscle relaxants
Nerve block treatments
Electrical stimulation
Physical therapy
Splinting
Contracture surgery to lengthen muscles and repair damaged tendons and ligaments
Treatment for contractures can take a long time to result in noticeable improvements, and in the meantime, the condition and efforts to increase the movement of the affected muscles can cause considerable pain. Treating contractures can also be expensive, especially if surgery is needed.
Pursuing a claim against the negligent nursing home that allowed the contracture to develop can help residents and their families afford the best possible care for a muscle contracture injury.

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