$1.83 Million Jury Verdict for Failure to Prevent, Treat Pressure Sores at Nursing Home

Morley Sprague suffered from end-stage multiple sclerosis and had a history of urinary tract infection (UTI) and degenerative joint disease.

After a hospitalization for treatment of sepsis and a UTI, he was admitted to the North Canyon Care Center, a nursing home that offered wound care services. Within a week, his two existing pressure ulcers worsened from Stage I and II to Stage IV. Additionally, he developed a Stage IV pressure sore on his right buttock.

After he left the nursing home, he required antibiotic treatment and continued medical care for his open wounds, which did not heal. Two years after his discharge, Sprague died of sepsis resulting from an infected pressure ulcer.

Sprague was survived by his wife and three adult children. His wife sued the nursing home, alleging that it chose not to prevent and treat the pressure sores. The Sprague family asserted that the defendant nursing home should have provided him with a special mattress and a wheelchair cushion and limited the amount of time that he sat in his wheelchair.

In addition, the Sprague family claimed that the nursing home did not turn him every two hours, in spite of his known high risk for developing pressure ulcers.

The jury signed its verdict for $1,830,000. The defendant nursing home has filed an appeal, according to the report of this case.

The attorneys successfully representing the Sprague family were Norman Younker, Ashton Hyde and John MacFarlane.

At the jury trial, the Sprague family’s counsel presented an expert in nursing.

Sprague v. Avalon Care Center, No. 140908104 (Utah Dist. Ct. Salt Lake County).

Kreisman Law Offices has been handling nursing home abuse cases, nursing home negligence cases, pressure ulcer lawsuits and wrongful death cases for individuals, families and their loved ones who have been harmed, injured or died as a result of the carelessness or negligence of a medical provider for more than 40 years in and around Chicago, Cook County and its surrounding areas, including Morton Grove, Elmhurst, Norridge, Chicago Heights, Wood Dale, Itasca, Westchester, Hinsdale, Westmont, Western Springs, Bedford Park, Burbank, Willow Springs, Hickory Hills, Palos Hills, Lemont, Bolingbrook, Chicago (Calumet Park, Roseland, Morgan Park, Mount Greenwood, West Pullman, Riverdale, South Deering, East Side, Avalon Park, Woodlawn, Kenwood, Grand Boulevard, Bronzeville, Near South Side, University Village, Lower West Side, South Lawndale, Logan Square, Westridge, Edgewater), Evanston, Skokie, Des Plaines and Wilmette, Ill.