Falls can be a serious injury for anyone who is at risk. According to the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, 700,000 to 1,000,000 patients fall while in the hospital each year, and one third of all hospital falls could be prevented.
Patients in nursing homes are also have a significant fall risk. Falls can be prevented if hospital or nursing home staff take the proper precautions and diagnostic procedures to assess a patient's fall risk. If you or a loved one suffered a significant injury due to a fall in a nursing home or hospital, you may have a personal injury claim and should contact a personal injury attorney.
How to Prevent a Hospital or Nursing Home Fall
The first step to preventing a fall in a hospital or nursing home is properly diagnosing a patient as having a fall risk. This can include analyzing the patient's medications and correctly identifying which medications may lead to side effects that can put the patient at risk for a fall
Hospital or nursing home staff should also correctly identify when a patient needs to be supervised in order to prevent a fall, including patients that have mobility equipment such as a cane or a walker, and patients who need assistance when going to the bathroom.
Failure to identify these fall risks and failure to take the appropriate steps in a patient's treatment plan to prevent falls may lead to a serious, debilitating or fatal injury. Failure to act to prevent a fall may be classified as medical malpractice or medical negligence.
Hospital Nursing Home Severe Fall Injuries
Patients who are vulnerable to falls must be cared for appropriately because fall injuries can be very severe and, in some cases, life-threatening. Patients in nursing homes or hospitals can suffer fractures, including ankle and hip fractures, that can be very painful and further limit a patient's mobility. Patients may also suffer from traumatic brain injuries due to a fall. They may also experience mental health problems such as anxiety and depression due to a fall.
Falls may lead to a long recovery process and even a permanent disability for the patient. Our nursing home fall attorneys are prepared to give you or your loved one a free consultation to assess the cause of the fall and determine whether you have a case for nursing home malpractice or hospital malpractice.
When to Call a Nursing Home Hospital Malpractice Lawyer
There are many factors that determine if a fall in a nursing home or hospital should be classified as medical malpractice or a slip and fall case. Medical malpractice cases cover instances of falls where the fall could have been prevented by the actions of a nursing home or hospital staff. This includes misdiagnoses and failure to identify that a patient should be classified as a fall risk.
Slip and fall cases include instances where a fall was caused by general negligence by the facility, such as a nursing home or hospital.
If you suspect that you or your loved one experienced an injury from a fall due to medical malpractice or medical negligence, contact Jeff Martin Law immediately. Our Oklahoma fall attorneys have top experience helping people gain the financial compensation they deserve to help recover from their fall injuries.
Our top Oklahoma fall attorneys will walk you through the process of filing a claim. We represent people in Tulsa, Oklahoma City, and all across the state of Oklahoma. Contact us today.
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