If your relative suffered a serious fall at home or a series of falls that did not result in major injuries, you and your family might have been justifiably concerned. You may have decided to move your loved one to a place where they could be monitored and have assistance available around the clock.
Unfortunately, nursing home residents sometimes do not receive the care they need and deserve. If your loved one fell and got hurt while living in a long-term care facility, you might want to pursue legal action to hold the facility accountable.
A Jacksonville falls lawyer may be able to assist your family. Pintas & Mullins Law Firm has helped clients across the United States seek justice for their loved ones who received substandard care or were victims of abuse or neglect in long-term care facilities.
We may be able to file a personal injury lawsuit against the nursing home to seek compensation for your relative’s medical bills and pain and suffering. Call our office today at (800) 842-6336 to discuss your loved one’s case with a member of our staff.
Why Senior Citizens Are at Risk of Falling and Getting Injured
Elderly people are much more likely to fall than the general population. As people age, they could develop conditions such as arthritis that make it difficult to walk. They may experience declines in balance and coordination, as well as vision problems that can make it hard to see potential hazards and judge distances.
Medications that seniors take to treat medical conditions may produce side effects that can make it hard to get around safely, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
When older individuals fall, they may suffer devastating injuries. Senior citizens who fall can also experience broken bones, head trauma, back and neck injuries, cuts, scrapes, and bruises.
How Elderly Residents Can Fall in Nursing Homes
Nursing home employees have a duty to provide a safe environment for the facility’s residents. That means they should work to remove potential safety hazards and warn residents and others of dangerous conditions.
Rugs should be tacked or taped down so that residents cannot trip over them. If an object falls on the floor, a staff member should pick it up. If a liquid gets spilled, it should be cleaned up promptly. When a floor has been mopped, cones or a sign should be put up to warn people to stay away from the area until the floor has dried.
Hallways and common areas should be well lighted. Worn-out light bulbs should be replaced promptly, and broken light fixtures should be repaired or replaced as soon as possible. If the nursing home and its staff fail to take those actions, and someone falls and gets hurt, the facility could be held liable.
Employees in long-term care facilities may feel overwhelmed and struggle to meet the needs of all residents. A worker might not be able to respond right away if someone needs help using the bathroom. The individual may then try to walk to the bathroom without assistance, fall, and get hurt.
Sometimes nursing home employees deliberately ignore residents’ requests for assistance. That may be a form of emotional abuse and neglect. A person who is left to fend for himself or herself may fall and get seriously injured.
Seniors in long-term care facilities may fall because of physical abuse. For example, a staff member may hit or push a resident out of frustration or anger. Even if the employee does not intend to make the victim fall, that can happen since many nursing home residents are in fragile health.
If your loved one is injured after falling in a nursing home, and you want to pursue a personal injury case on their behalf, give Pintas & Mullins Law Firm a call. We can get started with a free consultation where you can learn about our services and what legal options you have. A member of our team would be happy to answer any questions you have.
For a free legal consultation with a Jacksonville Falls Lawyer serving Jacksonville, call (800) 794-0444
How Understaffing Can Lead to Injuries
Understaffing is common in nursing homes. It is one of the leading causes of abuse and neglect. Because working in a nursing home is a physically and emotionally demanding job, facilities can struggle to attract and maintain qualified staff.
If a nursing home is facing a staffing shortage, managers may cut corners when hiring new employees. For example, they might not conduct thorough background checks. That can allow a person with a history of abuse or neglect to gain employment and endanger the safety of residents in the facility.
Nursing home administrators may rush to put new employees to work as soon as possible and not provide them with adequate training. Managers may not explain how to identify and address safety hazards or discuss individual patients’ physical limitations. They also may not cover how to prevent falls.
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A Jacksonville Falls Lawyer Might Be Able to Help Your Family
Pintas & Mullins Law Firm has worked to pursue justice for families across the United States whose loved ones suffered harm in long-term care facilities where they should have been safe.
Our team can investigate conditions at the nursing home, hiring procedures, training programs, and the actions of individual staff members and managers to find out if the facility acted negligently in your loved one’s situation.
If so, we might file a personal injury lawsuit against the nursing home to seek a financial award that will cover your loved one’s bills for medical care related to the fall, as well as pain and suffering. In many cases, we can negotiate on your behalf for a settlement with a defendant to avoid taking a case to trial. When that is not possible, we can go to court to seek justice for an injured victim.
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Get in Touch with a Personal Injury Attorney
A Jacksonville falls lawyer could seek justice for your family. If you are interested in hiring an attorney, be aware you have only a limited time to take legal action against the nursing home.
Under Florida Statutes §429.296, a personal injury lawsuit may be filed only within two years from the incident date or within two years from the date when the incident was discovered or should have been discovered through due diligence. A lawsuit might not be filed more than four years after an incident.
Do not let concerns about legal fees stop you from pursuing justice for your loved one. Pintas & Mullins Law Firm operates on a contingency agreement. That means you will not have to pay us anything unless we obtain a financial award through negotiations or by winning a settlement at trial for you.
Call us today at (800) 842-6336 to learn more about what we may be able to do for your family.
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