According to a recent study, there are around one million inpatient falls occurring in the United States per year. While some falls occur because of a patient’s medical condition, some falls occur due to the caregiver’s negligence. If a fall occurs to a caregiver of the hospital being negligent, the hospital could be held liable.
Causes of Hospital Falls
A patient is in the hospital because they are sick and sometimes this can include being weak or disoriented. If a patient is weak or disoriented it can be very difficult to do simple tasks such as using the bathroom. The hospital has a duty to assess any fall risk and take the necessary precautions to help prevent them.
Falls can occur for a variety of reasons. Some examples of causes are:
- Bed rails not functioning properly
- Bed exit alarms not being turned on
- Locating high risk patients in rooms far from the nurses station
- A poor fall risk assessment
- A patient getting up when a call button is unanswered
- Allowing high risk patients to get out of bed without supervision
- Transferring or moving patients without adequate staff
Injuries Sustained Due to Falls
Patients that suffer a fall due to negligence can suffer from a wide range of injuries. Often when a patient is injured in a fall, the injury sustained from the fall can lead to other serious injuries or illnesses. Some of these include:
- Head injuries
- Broken bones
- Internal or external bleeding
- Depression
- Anxiety
- Stroke
- Death
Contact us today.
If you or a loved one has been seriously injured in a hospital fall call Powers Taylor today. Our attorneys are experienced with all types of medical malpractice cases. We value each client and will fight to get you the justice you deserve. Contact us today for a free consultation. All calls are confidential.