Can I sue a Georgia nursing home if my mother developed bedsores from being left in bed?

· 3 min read

Pressure injuries that develop because a resident was left immobile for long stretches can support a neglect claim against a Georgia nursing home. Bedsores are largely preventable with proper care, so when they appear and worsen, they often signal that the facility failed in basic duties it owed the resident.

Why bedsores point to neglect

A pressure ulcer, also called a bedsore or pressure injury, forms when sustained pressure cuts off blood flow to skin and tissue, typically over bony areas like the heels, hips, and tailbone. Standard care calls for repositioning immobile residents on a schedule, keeping skin clean and dry, providing adequate nutrition and hydration, using pressure-relieving surfaces, and inspecting the skin so early sores are caught and treated. When a facility skips these steps and a resident develops sores from being left in bed, the lapse can amount to negligence.

Georgia nursing homes are licensed care providers that owe residents reasonable care, and federal nursing-home regulations and the resident protections under Georgia’s Bill of Rights for Residents of Long-term Care Facilities, O.C.G.A. § 31-8-100 et seq., reinforce the expectation that the facility will guard against avoidable harm like preventable pressure injuries.

Building a claim in Georgia

A neglect case generally must show that the facility owed a duty, breached the standard of care, and caused the resident’s injury. Because the question of proper medical and nursing care is involved, these claims often proceed as professional negligence and require the expert affidavit under O.C.G.A. § 9-11-9.1. Evidence frequently includes:

  • Skin-assessment and wound-care records showing when sores were noticed and how they were treated.
  • Repositioning and turning logs, or their absence.
  • Care plans addressing the resident’s mobility and skin-integrity risks.
  • Staffing records that may reveal whether enough caregivers were present to provide the needed care.

A claim must also respect Georgia’s deadlines; depending on how it is framed, the medical malpractice limitations under O.C.G.A. § 9-3-71 or the general two-year personal-injury limitation under O.C.G.A. § 9-3-33 may apply, so timing should be assessed early.

The bottom line

A family may pursue a claim against a Georgia nursing home when a resident develops bedsores from being left in bed and the facility failed to provide the repositioning, skin care, and monitoring that reasonable care required. Proving it depends on the records and usually on expert testimony, and the case must be brought within the applicable Georgia time limits.

This article is for general educational and informational purposes only and is not legal advice. It does not create an attorney-client relationship, and Georgia law may change. For advice about a specific situation, consult a licensed Georgia personal injury attorney.

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