If your loved one suffered substantial injuries in a fall at their nursing home in San Antonio, you are not alone. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), falls among nursing home residents happen frequently. Fall-related injuries cause around 1,800 deaths in nursing home residents annually. Those who survive a bad fall can suffer from serious injuries such as hip fractures or head injuries that can cause permanent disabilities.
While falls in nursing homes can happen for several reasons due to the general frailty of elderly nursing home residents, falls are mostly preventable with adequate assistance and monitoring.
Falls in nursing homes can be a painful and costly problem for a resident and their family. Up to 20% of nursing home falls cause injuries that may require hospitalization, considerable medical interventions, and rehabilitative therapies.
If this has happened to your loved one, and you are now stuck with the medical bills and other damages, you may wonder whether the nursing home should have taken better care of your loved one. We can help. Connect with a San Antonio falls lawyer from Pintas & Mullins Law Firm to determine whether you have a case and could recover compensation at (800) 842-6336.
Reasons for Falls in Nursing Homes
Nursing home residents can suffer from medical conditions, general frailty, and difficulty walking, which can all contribute to a higher fall risk. Other reasons for falls in the nursing home can include:
- Medications causing dizziness
- Physical abuse
- Muscle weakness
- Damaged or inadequate mobility aids
- Lack of assistance when moving around the facility
- Medical conditions
- Vision problems
- Tripping hazards on the floor
- General frailty and unsteadiness
- Unsafe footwear and clothing
- Broken flooring
- Loose mats and rugs
It is important to note that falls are not an inevitability among our seniors living in nursing homes. In some cases, the nursing home can be responsible for a variety of reasons, such as not offering adequate assistance or ignoring hazardous conditions around the property.
Nursing Homes Have a Responsibility to Keep Their Residents Safe
A nursing home cannot only prevent many falls and resulting injuries, it has the duty to do so. The home must be safe for residents, and nursing home staff are responsible to ensure there are no dangerous conditions that could trip up residents. However, the nursing home can take a number of other steps to prevent falls, including:
- Assessing residents for fall risk
- Monitoring residents with higher fall risk
- Helping residents move around the property
- Promoting muscle strengthening exercises
- Encouraging safe footwear rather than slippers or going barefoot
- Adjusting medication if necessary
- Uncluttering living areas
- Ensuring good lighting
- Installing sufficient handrails and grab bars
Preventing falls can be staff and time-intensive as it requires careful monitoring of nursing home residents and offering assistance as and when needed. If the nursing home does not have enough staff to be able to minimize fall risk among residents, they may be liable for your damages.
If you believe the nursing home is responsible for your loved one’s suffering, pain, and medical expenses, you should speak to a San Antonio falls lawyer for help and advice.
Types of Injuries Suffered in Falls
Falls can be harmless and simply cause some bruises, scrapes, and perhaps a sprained ankle. However, in many other cases, falls cause serious and potentially permanent injuries, including:
- Hip and pelvic fractures
- Fractures in the arms and wrists
- Traumatic Brain Injuries (TBI) and other head injuries
- Spinal cord injuries
- Dislocations and sprains
- Cuts and lacerations
Some of these injuries can have a dramatic effect on the health of an elderly nursing home resident. Hip fractures, for example, are a risk factor for mortality in adults above the age of 65 and can substantially shorten a nursing home resident’s life expectancy.
For a free legal consultation with a Falls Lawyer serving San Antonio, call (800) 794-0444
You May Have Legal Recourse
When we move our loved ones into a nursing home, we generally do so because they have become too frail to live independently. We want to prevent injuries such as falls and hope that in the nursing home they will receive the round-the-clock care and assistance they need at this stage in their lives. When it turns out that the nursing home acted negligently and did not take good care of our loved one, you are not powerless and could have legal recourse.
Nursing Homes Must Practice Their Duty of Care Towards Residents
Nursing homes have to ensure that residents are safe and as such need to comply with several federal and state laws such as the Nursing Home Reform Act of 1987. In order to hold a nursing home responsible for your loved one’s suffering and expenses, you will have to prove negligence. Ways in which the nursing home might be negligent could be, among others:
- Not hiring adequate staff
- Failing to train staff
- Allowing dangerous conditions to persist at the property
- Not having an effective fall prevention program
Proving negligence of the nursing home can be tough and will need clear evidence. A San Antonio falls lawyer can help you gather the necessary evidence and build your case against a negligent nursing home.
Compensation
If you can prove that your loved one’s injuries happened because of neglect or abuse at the nursing home, you could recover various types of compensation. You could receive the costs of all medical treatments, rehabilitative therapies, and other medical expenses. You can also potentially receive compensation for pain and suffering, permanent disability, loss of life quality, and other damages.
San Antonio Falls Lawyer Near Me (800) 794-0444
Pintas & Mullins Law Firm Can Fight for Your Loved One
We understand that it can feel daunting to think about a lawsuit and standing up against a nursing home. However, your loved one deserves justice, and standing up for your loved one’s rights can potentially also help other nursing home residents.
You are not alone. Pintas & Mullins Law Firm can be by your side every step of the way in holding a negligent nursing home to account. We charge no upfront attorney’s fees and only get paid when we win your case.
Call us today for a free consultation with one of our team members at (800) 842-6336.
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