Feeding Tube Complications

Those who are confined to nursing home and long-term care facilities are usually dependent on others for most, if not all, of their personal needs. In some cases, this includes the intake of food and water via a feeding tube. While feeding tubes are helpful in that they allow patients to get their nutritional needs met when they are unable to eat or drink normally, there can be feeding tube complications. If you believe that your loved one has suffered a harmful feeding tube complication because of the negligence of a nursing home you should speak to a Rockland County nursing home negligence lawyer. At the Law Firm of Valerie J. Crown, Attorney at Law, we will be happy to discuss your concerns and advise you as to whether you may have a viable claim against the responsible party or parties.

Feeding tubes are often used due to medical conditions that cause a nursing home resident to have difficulty eating, such as paralysis from a stroke or issues related to advanced dementia. Unfortunately, nurses and other healthcare workers are sometimes careless or negligent during the process of inserting the feeding tube or maintaining it, which can lead to feeding tube complications. For example, matter may be sent to the wrong area of the patient’s body, such as the lungs (which can cause pneumonia, a serious illness in the frail and elderly). In some instances, the tube may perforate part of the patient’s gastric system or dislodge from its position, causing leaking. Other complications are also possible.

When a patient is seriously injured or passes away due to feeding tube complications caused by a nursing home or assisted living center employee’s negligence, there is the possibility of a lawsuit seeking damages for the patient’s medical costs, pain and suffering, and other losses. The burden of proof in such a case is on the patient (or his or her family or estate, depending upon the circumstances). This means that the patient’s legal advocate must be able to prove, by a preponderance of the evidence, that the nursing home, a member of its staff, or other healthcare professional failed to abide by the applicable standard of care and that, as a proximate result, the patient was harmed. Without this proof, the patient’s case will fail.

In order to prove his or her case, the patient’s attorney must consult one of more expert witnesses, who will be called upon to render a professional opinion as to the issues in the case, such as the standard of medical care that applied under the circumstances, the manner in which the defendant(s) breached this standard of care, whether this deviation in care was the proximate cause of harm to the patient, and the physical injuries suffered by the patient. The defendant is likely to present the testimony of an opposing expert. At trial, the jury is tasked with determining which side of the case if more convincing and, if it is the plaintiff’s, to award an appropriate amount of monetary compensation. If either party believes that an error was made at trial, there is the possibility of further proceedings in the state appeals court.

If you think your loved one has suffered or perished due to a nursing home’s failure to take proper care with regard to a feeding tube or other device, you should talk to a lawyer about the necessary steps to hold the responsible individual or entity liable for your loved one’s personal injuries or wrongful death. At the Law Firm of Valerie J. Crown, Attorney at Law, P.C., we help those in Rockland County, along with those in Westchester, Orange, Dutchess, and Putnam Counties as well as those in the Greater Metropolitan area, seek fair compensation for harm caused by a nursing home or nursing home employee. For a free consultation, call us at 845.708.5900 and schedule an appointment. Alternatively, you can reach us through the contact form on this website, or you can call Valerie’s cellphone 24/7 at 845.598.8253. We also handle car accident, medical malpractice, dental malpractice, Workers’ Compensation, and Social Security Disability cases.