Attorneys Team Up to Hold Hospitals Accountable for Pressure Injuries

The Spinal Cord Injury Law Firm’s own Kelley Simoneaux (T12 Paraplegic) is teaming up with Toby Cole (C5 Quadriplegic) of Cole Law Firm to take on a specific challenge faced by so many of us within the spinal cord injury (SCI) community: the entirely preventable and yet unjustifiably common occurrence of pressure sore injuries. Shockingly, many occur in hospital settings under the care of physicians. These providers must be held accountable for compromised skin integrity and subsequent life threatening wounds that develop in patients while under their care.

The mission is a powerful one.

But these attorneys know the firsthand challenges of living with SCI. They have witnessed the devastating impact of pressure sores within their community, and they have turned their personal experiences into this mission of patient advocacy and pressure wound accountability

Founders of SCI Pressure Sores, Simoneaux and Cole, run an informative website seeking to educate about pressure injuries and patient rights. Find it here.

Holding hospitals accountable might not be as straightforward as pinning charges on a negligent driver, for example.

But attorneys at SCI Pressure Sores are no strangers to challenge and offer to examine your pressure wound injury case regardless of where you live in the U.S.

Kelley: “Pressure sores are absolutely avoidable when the right care is in place. There needs to be accountability. I am part of the spinal cord injury community, and I am here to fight for you.”

Toby: “We have to change the culture; we have to make hospitals hate pressure injuries as much as we hate pressure injuries.” 

Do hospitals not hate pressure injuries? Perhaps they will take more effective measures to prevent them when they start getting hit in the pocketbook.

Systematic review of prevalence and incidence studies have shown pressure ulcer prevalence ranged from 5.2% (at admission) to 12.3% (at discharge). An increase in wound severity should never happen in a hospital!

Avoiding pressure sore formation in immobile patients should be easy: use appropriate mattresses that distribute pressure, frequently reposition, rotate, and turn hospital patients incapable of adjusting and shifting weight independently.

Pressure ulcers form fast and heal slow. Read more about pressure sores and prevention in our previous blog post.

Have you or a loved one suffered a pressure injury in a hospital or health care institution? Tell us at SCI Pressure Sores your story and let us fight for you today.

Made it to all 50 states!

In late July 2020, during a visit to Chattanooga, I sat at my mom’s dining table and asked her a question: On a scale of 1 to 10, with 10 being “I’m packing my bags now” and 1 being “get out of my house now,” how likely would she be to get in a car the next day and start a road trip with me, Bradlee, and the kids? To my surprise, she said 10+++. Within hours, we mapped out a tentative schedule to head west, where we could escape people and see some sights.

Over the next two weeks, we traveled through 17 states by road. We visited National Parks, National Forests, National Monuments, and more. We worked remotely and, as I began to see so much of the U.S. with its vast and diverse landscapes, I realized I wanted to see it all! Before this trip, I had visited maybe half the states. Once I checked off North Dakota, South Dakota, and other middle-American states, I realized I might have a shot at visiting all 50. So, as I often do, I turned this into a goal: all 50 states by 40!

Since 2020, it’s been a joy to use this challenge as a reason to visit places I might never have otherwise considered. Work conferences in the Pacific Northwest, road trips through the upper Northeast, skiing in Idaho, a summer adventure in Alaska—it’s been an incredible journey. And here we are, just days before my 40th birthday. I am thrilled to land in Montana, roll in the snow, ski down powdery slopes, explore a winter wonderland National Park, and proudly say I have now traveled to and explored all 50 states!

Guest Speaker for The Morton Cure Paralysis Fund

Josh Basile and Kelley Brooks Simoneaux, both seasoned attorneys, shed light on the multifaceted challenges individuals face after a spinal cord injury. Beyond the immediate focus of recovery, they uncover the daunting realities of navigating financial burdens, deciphering insurance complexities, managing fundraisers, safeguarding assets, and understanding one’s legal rights. Josh’s founding of SPINALpedia, aptly named for its comprehensive support network, serves as an invaluable resource for those seeking guidance and community. Through mentorship and shared experiences, SPINALpedia offers solace and encouragement to individuals grappling with the mindboggling obstacle course post-injury. Tune in to better understand why Josh likes to say, “Together we are stronger and together we are not alone!”

Kelley featured in The Week Junior!

Featured in CNET

Take a look at this article that I was interviewed for regarding accessibility in the workforce and how things have changed due to Covid.

Accommodations like working from home didn't happen because of the needs of people with disabilities, but they ultimately ended up benefiting some, like attorney Kelley Simoneaux. She's been using a wheelchair since she was 16, when a car wreck caused her to sustain a spinal cord injury. Since then, she's had to deal with barriers practically everywhere she goes, including on commutes. But that's one problem that was removed when she started working from home.

"I didn't have to worry anymore if the elevator was working on the metro, because I wasn't having to make my commute anymore," Simoneaux said. "You eliminate those potential problems that can exist by trying to get from point A to point B."

Tennessee Law Magazine Featured Article

Here is the most recent publication for Tennessee's Law Magazine featuring an article about me!