Autopsies and Nursing Home Residents: Are They Necessary?
Losing a loved one is always difficult, but losing a loved one to possible nursing home abuse or neglect is inexcusable. How does one prove negligence on the part of the nursing home facility?
One way to prove possible nursing home abuse or neglect is through an autopsy. An autopsy is a thorough medical examination of a person's entire body, including organs, following death and is used to establish a cause of death. Autopsies are most often performed within 48 hours of the death and are performed by a pathologist, who is trained to evaluate information gleaned through the physical examination of an individual.
Once the physical examination has been completed and laboratory results have been received and evaluated, an autopsy report is generated. Autopsy reports contain information regarding the findings during the autopsy and most often states a cause of death. An autopsy report can be very useful in determining if a nursing home facility provided poor care to a resident.
Autopsies are very useful in cases involving wrongful death due to bed sores (also known as pressure sores or decubitus ulcers), as the physician can medically determine whether or not a resident died due to medical neglect, such as infection or sepsis. This determination can eliminate an argument by the nursing home that the resident's cause of death was due to "old age" or "medical factors".
The Terry Law Firm is experienced in handling cases of nursing home abuse or neglect. Please contact us with any questions or concerns at (888) 317-2525 or visit us on our website at www.nursinghomejustice.com.
