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Friday, March 29, 2024

Texas City nursing facility failed to prevent patient from developing ulcers, court documents say

Robert wharton mciver brown law firm

GALVESTON - A Harris County man claims a Texas City nursing facility neglected to provide his wife proper medical care, recent court documents say.

In a lawsuit filed Sept. 30 in Galveston County District Court, Juan Chapa alleges that SCTW Health Care Center, doing business as Bayou Pines Care Center, allowed for Elida Chapa to develop a decubitus ulcer.

Elida Chapa was placed under the defendant's care on Sept. 24, 2012, for rehabilitation and long-term care following a stroke.

Upon admission, she was assessed "as a moderate risk for developing pressure ulcers."

The suit explains that Elida Chapa was found to have a skin tear on her left buttock during a nutritional assessment in early October 2012; however, the respondent did not provide wound care for more than a week.

She was hospitalized for a urinary tract infection, pneumonia, severe malnutrition and acute renal failure the next month.

According to the suit, the patient "was also found to have multiple severe pressure ulcers upon admission."

Her stay at the hospital ended on Nov. 20, 2012.

The original petition asserts the defendant - as Elida Chapa's presumed health care provider - committed negligence by "failing to act as a reasonable health care provider would have under the same or similar circumstances."

"Whether because of a lack of sufficient qualified staff or because of a lack of training, policies, procedures, oversight or enforcement, the facility failed to meet the standard of care, as did its staff," it says.

"In addition, the facility's record keeping was grossly inadequate, resulting in poor quality of care to the patient."

Consequently, Juan Chapa seeks unspecified monetary damages and a jury trial.

He is represented by attorney Robert M. Wharton of McIver Brown Law Firm in Houston.

The case has been assigned to Galveston County 405th District Court Judge Michelle Slaughter.

Case No. 13-CV-1256

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