Nursing Home Falls - Alabama Attorney Who Demands Justice
Shuttlesworth Law Firm, P.C. work tirelessly for victims of nursing home falls
Nursing home patients often sustain serious injuries when they fall. In many cases, such falls could have been prevented if nursing home staff members were more attentive. That's why nursing home neglect cases involving falling patients can be so frustrating. These often are devastating injuries that should never have happened.
Fortunately, you have options for this common nursing home neglect case. At Shuttlesworth Law Firm, P.C., our experienced nursing home neglect lawyer knows how to handle cases involving nursing home falls and can work with you to successfully resolve your case.
What are common causes of nursing home falls?
Falls in nursing homes are dangerous to residents, putting them at risk for severe injuries. There are different factors that can cause a nursing home resident to fall, including:
- Wet floors
- Incorrect bed height
- Poor lighting
- Lack of handrails
- Cluttered floors
- Lack of staffing or supervision
How can I tell if a nursing home fall was due to nursing home neglect?
Nursing homes and their insurance companies often try to blame falls involving patients on the patients themselves. Nursing homes will frequently deny any responsibility and will do everything they can to avoid compensating injury victims and their families.
That's why it's important to be able to identify common signs that your loved one's fall was due to nursing home neglect. Some of the warning signs include:
- Absence of hand rails in hallways and stairwells
- Similar injuries occurring to other patients in same facility
- Absence of records or report explaining injury
- Lack of explanation from nursing home for injury
- Vague explanation of injury by nursing home
You may notice a loved one has unexplained bruises, or broken glasses. If something doesn't feel right, take action immediately. Your loved one's health and legal rights could be at risk.
Falls at nursing homes happen more often than many people might realize. Falls make up 36 percent of all potentially preventable emergency room visits to hospitals by nursing home residents. About 1,800 residents each year die from fall-related injuries, and each year the average nursing home with 100 beds reports 100 to 200 falls, according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Are nursing homes liable for falls? If the fall was caused by neglect, yes. But it’s important to get legal advice.
What should I do if I suspect nursing home neglect resulted in a falling injury?
If you suspect your loved one fell in a nursing home due to nursing home neglect, our Alabama accident attorney strongly urges you to take the following steps:
- Notify the nursing home immediately.
- Seek immediate medical attention for your loved one.
- Contact us.
If you are retained by our firm, we can vigorously investigate your case. Nursing homes are required to report falls, but may not reveal the whole story about what happened. We’ll get the facts. We’ll make sure your loved one's rights are respected and your family receives the compensation you rightfully deserve. Remember, you didn't do anything wrong. Why should your family have to suffer any more?
Can you sue a nursing home for a fall?
After a loved one has suffered a fall, you may be wondering if you can pursue legal action through a lawsuit. Nursing home fall cases are serious matters that require consideration of liability and a thorough understanding of the legal system. Since nursing homes have the responsibility to care for each and every resident, when they fail to uphold this duty, they could be held liable.
Through an investigation, an experienced nursing home neglect attorney can uncover factors such as inadequate fall prevention measures, negligent supervision, and other forms of negligence that may have contributed to the fall. With hard evidence, they can build a strong case on your behalf that will hold the nursing home accountable for their actions or inaction and pursue compensation.
Take your case seriously. Contact Shuttlesworth Law Firm, P.C. We can help
Don’t wait to take legal action. A delay could affect your ability to be compensated. Cases have a “statute of limitations,” a time limit on how long injury victims or their loved ones can take legal action. Once the statute of limitations expires, you may not have any legal options.
Take your case seriously right from the start. Contact the Birmingham, Alabama accident attorney at Shuttlesworth Law Firm, P.C. today. Call 866-583-1885 and schedule a free case evaluation.
You pay nothing unless we obtain a recovery in your nursing home abuse case. That’s because we work on a contingency fee basis.
