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Falls don't just happen. They result from inadequate supervision, ignored fall risk assessments, and understaffing. When a facility knows a patient is at risk and fails to protect them, they're liable.
Nursing homes are required to assess fall risk upon admission and regularly thereafter. High-risk patients require additional precautions:
Prior falls are the strongest predictor of future falls
Dementia, confusion, or delirium increase fall risk dramatically
Weakness, balance problems, need for assistive devices
Sedatives, blood pressure meds, antipsychotics cause dizziness
Rushing to bathroom, especially at night, causes falls
Poor vision contributes to tripping hazards
Advanced age significantly increases fall risk
Deconditioning and new medications increase risk
When falls occur, we investigate whether the facility implemented required prevention measures:
High-risk patients should have alarms alerting staff when they attempt to stand unsupervised.
Fall-prone patients, especially those with dementia, require regular visual checks.
When patients call for help to use the bathroom and no one responds, they try to go alone.
Walkers and wheelchairs must be within reach. Patients shouldn't walk without prescribed devices.
Wet floors, cluttered walkways, poor lighting, and lack of handrails contribute to falls.
Over-sedation or new medications without fall risk reassessment.
Falls are especially dangerous for elderly nursing home patients:
| Injury | Consequences |
|---|---|
| Hip fracture | Surgery required, long recovery, 30% one-year mortality rate, permanent mobility loss |
| Head trauma (TBI) | Subdural hematoma, cognitive decline, coma, death—especially on blood thinners |
| Spinal injuries | Compression fractures, paralysis, chronic pain, decreased mobility |
| Wrist/arm fractures | Surgery, loss of function, FOOSH injuries from catching oneself |
| Soft tissue injuries | Bruising, lacerations, hematomas—can be severe on blood thinners |
We investigate whether the facility met its duty to prevent foreseeable falls:
Was your loved one assessed as high-risk? Did the facility know?
What precautions were supposed to be in place? Were they implemented?
Was there adequate staff to properly supervise fall-risk patients?
How did the facility document the fall? Any prior falls?
What did staff and other patients observe about supervision levels?
Nursing experts testify on standard of care and how facility fell short.
If your loved one fell in a nursing home, the facility may be liable. We investigate staffing, supervision, and prevention protocols to prove negligence.
No Fee Unless We Win