Anyone can sustain a serious injury from an accidental fall if they’re not expecting to lose their footing or land awkwardly on a hard surface. However, elderly people are especially likely to get severely hurt through this type of accident, especially if they’re in a nursing home and already dealing with physical or mental challenges that make it impossible for them to live normal lives without assistance from trained professionals.
If your loved one has suffered a fall in a Quakertown nursing home that you believe could’ve and should’ve been prevented from happening at all, you should get in touch with a seasoned nursing home neglect lawyer sooner rather than later. Filing suit over this kind of accident can be much trickier in practice than many people expect, and a skilled attorney’s support is crucial to getting the best possible outcome—not to mention, a fair amount of financial compensation—from your unique case.
When Is a Nursing Home Legally Liable for a Fall?
The fact that an elderly resident of a Quakertown nursing home got hurt in a fall that occurred on nursing home property doesn’t make that facility’s owner automatically liable for the accident in legal terms. Elderly people are statistically more likely to experience accidental falls—and then to get seriously hurt as a result of those falls—than the average healthy adult. Sometimes, incidents like this happen in nursing homes, no matter how diligent and careful facility staff members are.
It may be possible to sue over this sort of accident if you can prove nursing home staff members or administrators should’ve done more in advance to prevent falls from happening on their property, such as:
- Installing and maintaining handrails in public spaces
- Providing functional and properly sized walking aids to residents who need them
- Keeping walking spaces free of slipping or tripping hazards
- Paying extra close attention to patients taking medications that make them more likely to be unstable
- Making sure there aren’t gaps—for example, between a mattress and a railing attached to that mattress—that a resident could fall through or get stuck in
A practiced legal professional can discuss your possible grounds for a civil lawsuit during a private initial meeting.
Getting Paid for All Losses
Legal counsel can also help make sure your family member gets reimbursed fairly for all the damages a fall in their Quakertown nursing home has caused them, including:
- Physical pain and discomfort
- Emotional trauma and suffering
- Loss of life’s pleasures
- Medical bills
- Personal property damage and related expenses, such as the costs of buying a wheelchair after suffering a permanent injury in a fall
During claims like this, it’s important to seek recovery for damages that haven’t happened yet but are likely to happen in the future—for example, costs of physical therapy services that an injured person will need once their injuries from a fall fully heal.
Contact a Quakertown Attorney for Help with a Nursing Home Fall Lawsuit
Nursing homes have a wide-reaching responsibility to make sure their residents are happy, healthy, and safe at all times. While that doesn’t mean they’re expected to prevent every single accident from occurring, it does mean they’re expected to do a lot to minimize the risk of those accidents happening—and if they fail to meet that expectation, they can and should be held civilly liable for any resulting injuries.
Falls in Quakertown nursing homes that stem from negligence by staff members can often serve as strong grounds for civil litigation. Call Ostroff Godshall Injury and Accident Lawyers today to discuss your options.
