When a loved one moves into an assisted living facility, we face more than just having to accept that they are growing older – we also have to trust that they will receive the professional care and supervision they deserve.
In the United States, one in four adults aged 65 or older will suffer from a fall, with 37% of those requiring medical treatment for a resulting injury. While some slip-and-fall accidents are unavoidable, many that occur in assisted living facilities are the direct result of staffing shortages, inadequate safety protocols, or oversight.
Understanding the connection between these incidents and nursing home neglect is the first step in protecting your family member’s rights and ensuring their safety for the future and our team at Hoffman Law Firm is here to help.
What is Nursing Home Negligence?
Like a supermarket, which has a duty of care to its customers to provide a safe environment, a nursing home assumes a similar responsibility.
A nursing home has a duty of care to prevent harm to your loved one or to provide a safe environment that would prevent harm. If the nursing home breaches its duty of care, this would be deemed nursing home negligence, as the facility took a wrongful action that endangered the safety of your loved one or failed to do what was necessary to keep them safe.
Common Hazards that Result in Falls in Nursing Homes
Many factors can contribute to slip-and-fall accidents in nursing homes. Some hazards are common in supermarkets, workplaces, and even apartment complexes, while others are specific to assisted living facilities.
Unsafe Flooring
Unsafe flooring is a major factor in nursing home falls. Unsafe flooring conditions may include uneven or worn floors, spills or tracked water, improperly marked transitions (such as carpet-to-tile), and floors recently serviced without warning signs (recently mopped or waxed).
Inadequate Lighting Conditions
Elderly residents often have compromised vision, making brighter lighting not just a luxury but a necessity in assisted living facilities. However, when lighting conditions are not properly maintained, accidents can become more likely.
Inadequate lighting conditions caused by negligence may include burned-out bulbs, dim lighting in hallways, a lack of motion sensors to trigger lights, or poorly maintained emergency lighting.
Negligent Care
Nursing homes may be liable for falls, not only from physical hazards but also from staffing and inadequate training protocols.
Common signs of inadequate care and neglect may include:
- Not enough staff to assist residents with mobility needs
- Insufficient staff to provide supervision in common spaces
- Improper training practices (such as in transferring patients from bed to wheelchair)
- Failing to assess fall risks
How a Slip and Fall Accident Lawyer Can Help in a Negligence Case
A slip-and-fall can have disastrous consequences, especially for those who call assisted living facilities home. From broken bones and sprains to spinal cord injuries and internal brain bleeds, a slip and fall injury can be life-changing for your loved one and you.
If your loved one was a victim of a slip and fall accident in a nursing home, where negligence played a key role in their injury, you have the right to seek compensation.
At Hoffman Law Firm, our team of accident attorneys will work with you to investigate the events surrounding your loved one’s fall in the nursing home. We will help you not only receive the compensation you deserve, but also justice for the failure in protecting those most precious to you.
With offices located in Charleston and Georgetown, our team proudly advocates for accident victims throughout the Palmetto State. As the locals’ trusted personal injury law firm, we have extensive experience handling a wide range of cases.
We have established a reputation for success and excellent service! To meet with a member of our team, schedule your free consultation for your slip-and-fall case today!
Disclaimer: This content is for general informational purposes only and does not provide legal advice. Viewing this site or contacting Hoffman Law Firm does not create an attorney–client relationship. An attorney–client relationship is formed only through a signed written agreement. Past results do not guarantee future outcomes. Every case is different and depends on its specific facts and applicable law. This website may be considered attorney advertising. Hoffman Law Firm practices law in South Carolina.
