When a resident falls at a nursing home, the accident and following injury may be a sign of nursing home abuse. Properly investigating the cause requires the knowledge and experience of a legal professional.
After a loved one suffers from a fall injury in a nursing home, you have the right to file compensation for medical care and other recoverable losses if the fall resulted from negligence. Hiring an Oklahoma City falls lawyer with Pintas & Mullins Law Firm can help you determine your legal options.
Contact Pintas & Mullins Law Firm for your free case evaluation by calling us.
Nursing Home Falls as a Sign of Nursing Home Abuse
Investigating the cause of your family member’s accident is an important part of filing an actionable personal injury claim. A fall attorney with Pintas & Mullins Law Firm can evaluate the available evidence to determine if your loved one was the victim of nursing home abuse during your time working with our firm.
Simply put, if the nursing home doctors, managers, administrators, staff members, or vendors acted with abusive negligence toward your loved one and caused them to experience an injury or death, then you can file a compensation claim related to your and your family member’s financial, physical, and emotional harm, as allowable under Oklahoma laws.
If you work with an Oklahoma City falls lawyer, they can help you identify the causes and responsible parties of your loved one’s harm as well.
The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality identifies the highest risk factors for nursing home falls that include:
- Mobility problems
- Environmental hazards
- Medications
- Bed or chair transfers
- Certain health conditions
- Behavioral characteristics
- Non-supportive footwear
- Previous falls
Your family member’s nursing home should account for these risks.
These kinds of cases involve state and federal laws, which may create cases that differ from general personal injury cases.
When a Fall Is Not Just a Fall
Older adults, who rely on others, live at a higher risk for abuse. Physicians use tools called the to help them recognize the signs, according to Clinical Geriatric Medicine.
If a doctor is screening for nursing home abuse, they will ask the following five questions:
- Does the patient rely on the nursing home for bathing, dressing, shopping, banking, or meals?
- Does anyone deny the patient food, medication, medical devices, or social interaction?
- Does anyone at the nursing home talk to the patient in a way that makes them feel ashamed or scared?
- Does anyone make the patient afraid or touch them inappropriately?
The doctor may also screen for signs of elder abuse that include poor eye contact, malnutrition, dehydration, bad hygiene, inappropriate dress, medication compliance problems, or a withdrawn attitude. In Oklahoma, the only requirement to report nursing home abuse is a suspicion.
The Department of Human Services (DHS) or Oklahoma County District Attorney’s Office requires doctors to report suspicion of nursing home abuse as soon as they discover it.
For a free legal consultation with a Oklahoma City Falls Lawyer serving Oklahoma City, call (800) 794-0444
Awards Pintas & Mullins Law Firm Can Help You Recover
Oklahoma laws let you file a claim against a nursing home when they failed to meet a general and medical duty of care toward your loved one, including nursing home abuse. Treating fall injuries and preventing future harm from occurring is expensive, and you should not pay for losses you did not cause.
While all prospective client cases are unique, Pintas & Mullins Law Firm will look for opportunities to claim things like:
- Current and future medical bills
- Travel to and from doctors’ visits
- Nursing home transfer costs
- Lost work wages, if you missed work
- Physical Pain and suffering
- Mental anguish
- Wrongful death benefits
Determining how much your nursing home abuse case is worth can demand personal time and effort. No two cases are alike because the facts, evidence, parties, and harm experienced varies; however, your Oklahoma falls lawyer can establish a fair estimate from which to negotiate.
Oklahoma City Oklahoma City Falls Lawyer Near Me (800) 794-0444
How You Can Help Your Family Member After Nursing Home Abuse
Nursing homes and caregivers are often liable for fall injuries caused by abuse; however, proving your allegations rests on your shoulders, which means that process is complicated.
Whether trying to figure out your options, evaluating a settlement, or filing an appeal, you have the option to protect your family’s legal interests by hiring an Oklahoma City falls lawyer. Not only does doing so relieve you of a hefty legal burden, but your attorney can also work on evidence preservation, consulting with experts, and building a case strategy.
You may also have reassurance in knowing that you are taking a careful approach toward ensuring his or her safety and accounting for any potential future losses, as well.
Get Your Family the Legal Care You Want
Fall injuries at nursing home facilities should not happen. Filing a nursing home abuse lawsuit with an Oklahoma City falls lawyer at Pintas & Mullins Law Firm can help you pursue a negotiated settlement or civil award.
There is a limited amount of time to file a claim. Make sure that you contact an attorney as soon as possible to assert your rights and protect your loved one’s interests.
If you would like more information about your case, please contact Pintas & Mullins Law Firm for your free case evaluation today. We take a case on a contingency fee basis, which means that we do not charge your family an up-front retainer to provide you with legal care.
Call or text (800) 794-0444 or complete a Free Case Evaluation form
