If a pressure sore injury has set you back, we'll help you move forward
Pressure sores, also known as bedsores, are a serious and painful condition that can occur when an individual is confined to a bed or wheelchair for an extended period of time. The prolonged pressure on certain areas of the can cause damage to the skin and underlying tissue, leading to serious infections and other complications.
Unfortunately, pressure sores in hospitals, care homes and other healthcare settings can be the result of neglect or poor care.
Examples of poor care include cases where the sores were caused by a failure to reposition a patient regularly, to change wound dressings, or a failure to properly assess and manage the individual's risk of developing sores.
In the UK, patients who have developed pressure sores due to neglect or poor care may be able to make a compensation claim. If your life, or the life of a loved one, has been affected by a pressure sore injury, we can help.
You can make a compensation claim with the help and support of a specialist clinical negligence solicitor.
In this article
You are not alone
It is estimated that almost 500,000 people a year will experience a pressure or bed sore, often during hospital stays on during recovery from an illness or injury .
In many cases, an underlying health condition makes movement difficult or requires extensive bed rest. The NHS estimates around 1 in 20 people admitted to hospital with a sudden illness will develop a pressure sore.
If you decide to make a pressure sore claim, your personal injury solicitor will take you through every step of the claims process. Your solicitor will be with you until you win your claim and get the compensation you deserve.
Who is legally responsible for my pressure sore?
Pressure sores typically develop as a result of pressure on one part of the for an extended period of time. Also referred to as ulcers or bed sores, they can develop into very serious and painful wounds, vulnerable to infection.
The pain and inflammation from these sores can restrict the ability to walk or move and often take a long time to heal.
A duty to identify at-risk patients and residents
Medical professionals and auxiliary staff in hospitals, and other care facilities, have a legal duty to ensure the health and safety of individuals in their care. All individuals admitted to a hospital or nursing home should be assessed on admission for their risk of developing pressure sores.
The Waterlow Score is a protocol commonly used by medical staff to identify at-risk patients. A failure to follow the protocol may be evidence in support of a medical negligence claim.
The risk of developing pressure sores is known to be higher for individuals who are elderly, unwell, immobile or diabetic. Nursing staff should regularly monitor individuals to prevent pressure sores developing or deteriorating, and should:
- Provide appropriate bed mattresses, such as air filled mattresses
- Apply pressure dressings where needed
- Regularly assess skin health
- Maintain high standards of hygiene and cleanliness
- Move and roll individuals regularly to alleviate pressure on bones and skin
- Provide appropriate medication, foods and nutrients to support the healing process
If these, or similar measures were not carried out, you may have grounds to make a hospital neglect compensation claim. To be successful, it must be proven that failures in maintaining appropriate standards of treatment and care caused, or worsened, your pressure sore injury.
The hospital or nursing home responsible for negligent care and treatment can be held liable for the injury caused.
Do I have a pressure sore claim?
As a basic rule, you will be eligible to make an injury claim if you were injured:
- within the last 3 years, and;
- another person was to blame, and;
- that person owed you a duty of care.
Find out online if you can claim with our injury claim calculator. Alternatively, you can speak to a claims advisor on 0800 376 1001 and find out if you have a claim in minutes.
How much compensation can I claim for a pressure sore?
The amount of money you could claim for your injury will depend on:
- the seriousness of your injury, and
- any financial losses or costs you have incurred.
At the start of your claim, your solicitor will consider the many ways your injuries have affected your life. Your solicitor will take these considerations into account to calculate the correct compensation award.
Pressure sore
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Updated December 2023
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General damages
General damages are awarded for pain, suffering and loss of amenity (PSLA).
Awards for general damages are set by the Judicial College and published in their guidelines for personal injury awards.
How is compensation calculated if I have multiple injuries?
Special damages
Special damages are awarded to compensate you for any costs or losses you've incurred or might incur as a result of your accident. These costs might include loss of earnings (including future anticipated earnings loss), retraining costs, career trajectory impact, or any other out of pocket expenses.
Special damages may also be awarded for medical treatments or procedures that you might need to treat your pressure sore, including cleaning the wound, antibiotics, dressing the wound and pressure relief.
Read more:
A complete list of recoverable losses in a personal injury claim
Clinical negligence claims
Pressure sore injuries are usually categorised as clinical negligence. Click on the icon below for more information.
Injury FAQs
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No win, no fee pressure sore compensation claims
With no win, no fee, you can claim pressure sore compensation without financial risk. If your claim isn't successful, you pay nothing. If you win, you only pay a pre-agreed percentage of your compensation.
How we can help you with your injury claim
Your solicitor will fight for the best possible compensation settlement for you, and the highly-experienced panel of solicitors have an excellent track record of winning injury claims.
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Author:
Chris Salmon, Director
About the author
Chris Salmon is a co-founder and Director of Quittance Legal Services. Chris has played key roles in the shaping and scaling of a number of legal services brands and is a regular commentator in the legal press.