Slips and Falls in Nursing Homes
Slip and fall accidents in nursing homes are unfortunately all too common. Nursing homes have a responsibility to assess a resident’s risk of falls. If a resident is a “fall risk,” nursing homes have a responsibility to make sure that person is never left alone when he or she is outside of her bed. They are required to provide assistance with transfers from the bed to a wheelchair, they’re required to monitor a resident while they use the bathroom and bathe, and they’re required to take precautions in certain circumstances to make sure someone cannot get out of their bed without assistance.
If you or someone you love slipped, fell and injured themselves in a nursing home or extended care facility, the facility’s potential liability may depend upon whether or not the accident was an isolated incident, or whether the facility failed to comply with reasonable standards of care. In the latter instance, the injured nursing home resident may have a legally compensable claim.
The Richmond slip and fall attorneys at Emroch & Kilduff specialize in personal injury law, and they are ready and willing to assist you with your case. Nursing homes and extending care facilities have powerful insurance companies with experienced lawyers on their side, and you should too. Our attorneys can review the facts and circumstances surrounding your slip and fall accident and can take the necessary legal steps to get you compensation for your injuries.
Nursing Home Care Plans
Richmond nursing homes are obligated to assess the health needs of residents and develop appropriate care plans for them. Care plans may include the use of certain safety devices, such as special chairs or bed alarms, which can help prevent residents from falling and injuring themselves. In cases where the nursing home fails to assess the patient’s care plan on a regular basis—or fails to adhere to a care plan that is already in place—the nursing home may be deemed negligent. In that instance, the injured patient may be able to file a claim against the nursing home directly. Moreover, if nursing home staff did not properly restrain a patient when they were supposed to, and the patient slipped and fell while attempting to “run away,” the nursing home staff could also be deemed negligent.
Types of Nursing Home Negligence
Nursing home negligence that can result in a slip and fall accident may consist of one or more of the following:
- Failing to properly monitor or care for the nursing home resident
- Poor staff training
- Insufficient staff on hand to assess the resident or monitor his or her care plan
- Lack of proper medical equipment to provide for the resident’s safety
Nursing Home Defenses
In many cases, nursing homes accused of negligence will try and explain away the slip and fall incident, often by blaming the resident. For example, the home may allege that the patient failed to turn on his or her call light or did not wait for assistance from nursing home staff. However, if the nursing home was understaffed at the time the fall occurred or the call light was not working, the nursing home can still be on the line for negligence. Similarly, if the resident has Alzheimer’s disease or some other memory deficiency, the home can still be deemed responsible for the slip and fall incident.
Contact a Richmond Nursing Home Personal Injury Lawyer Today
Nursing home slip and fall incidents may result in serious injuries to elderly residents. Our attorneys can determine whether or not you have a viable claim against the nursing home and can take the necessary legal action on your behalf. To schedule a free consultation or case evaluation with a Richmond, Virginia, nursing home personal injury lawyer, please call us today at (804) 358-1568 or contact us online.
