Nursing Home Abuse
Nursing Home Fall Lawsuits Continue to Be Filed and Investigated
Never let a nursing home employee tell you that your loved one’s fall was simply an accident.
The truth is that nursing home fall injuries are largely avoidable if the staff is being observant and caring for residents according to safety protocol and professional guidelines.
Unfortunately, Boulton Law Group knows that negligence continues to persist in these facilities, as we continually see nursing home lawsuits across the country be filed by families whose loved one was seriously injured as a result of their fall.
Nursing home falls by the numbers
According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 100 – 200 falls will occur each year inside an average-sized nursing home.
Additionally, it is reported that the average rate of falls is just under 3 per resident each year.
Especially concerning is the fact that each year up to 20% of nursing home falls result in a serious injury, with approximately 1,800 residents dying as a result.
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Free Case ReviewWhile these numbers are often surprising, and undoubtedly worrisome, the bigger shock is that they still may not tell the entire story.
Despite the CDC numbers indicating an epidemic of fall-related incidents in nursing homes, the organization also states that their numbers are likely low, as a large number of falls are never reported.
The large number of falls involving seniors in nursing homes has led to a steady stream of lawsuits being filed against facilities across the United States.
Whether the lawsuit is filed by a resident seeking damages for their injury and pain and suffering, or it is filed by a family on behalf of a loved one who suffered fatal injuries, it will be critical for the nursing home abuse attorney to determine who and what are responsible for the fall.
What causes nursing home falls?
Bolton Law Group has investigated and reviewed a number of liability factors for nursing home falls and the following are the most common causes:
- Age-related symptoms – Most residents expectedly suffer from muscle weakness that contributes to their fall, either by collapsing or unexpected tripping.
- Hallway and room obstacles – A large number of falls (up to 30%) are reported to occur after a resident trips or falls over equipment in the hallways or their room.
- Inadequate lighting – Falls have been reported to happen because a facility is not appropriately lit for particular times of the day, or workers have failed to replace burned out bulbs.
- Wet floors and/or spills – Injuries have happened as result of a resident slipping and falling due to a wet bathroom floor, a recently mopped floor, or a food/drink spill that has not been appropriately cleaned.
- Improper fittings for wheelchairs and beds – Severe fall injuries regularly occur due to seniors falling from their beds or wheelchairs. In some instances bed railings malfunction or are not secured, and/or residents are left unattended in a wheelchair that is not properly fitted.
- Reaction to medications – Whether its a new medication or one that the resident has traditionally taken, nursing homes can be held responsible for falls that occur due to a medicinal side effect.
- Bathroom falls – Many reports of falls are attributed to incidents that occur on a bathroom, either due to a fall from the toilet or while a resident is bathing. Ina number of incidents, an employee has been found to have dropped the resident.
Filing a nursing home fall lawsuit
If your loved one suffered an injury in a nursing home fall, it is critical that you have an Indiana nursing home abuse attorney investigate the fall as well as the number of prior incidents that have occurred at the facility. Depending on the evidence and history surrounding that particular facility, it may be determined that a nursing home lawsuit should be filed.
In most instances, nursing homes will not be quick to admit liability, and they will point to your loved one’s deteriorating condition or advanced age as the primary factor that contributed to their fall. This is one among many reasons that nursing home fall cases can be especially complex.
The first step to filing a lawsuit against an Indiana nursing home is contacting a personal injury attorney that is familiar with these case. It is never advised that you attempt to prove negligence without the assistance of your attorney.
Indiana nursing home abuse attorney
Attorney Boulton has more than 20 years’ experience helping the people of Indiana obtain compensation on behalf of their injured and lost loved ones. No matter the type of injury that occurred in the nursing home, he can explain to you the steps he will take to help ensure the nursing home is held accountable for its negligence.
Boulton Law Group offers nursing home abuse victims a Zero Fee Guarantee. This means that you will never be charged a consultation fee and you owe the firm nothing until we win your case.
If you believe you have a nursing home fall lawsuit, talk to attorney Boulton today to ensure your case is not jeopardized. He can be reached direct at 317-350-2680, or you can write to us with the details of the incident by using our confidential contact form.
Author Matt Boulton
