Feb 20, 2017
Hire Local and Experienced Attorney for Nursing Home Falls
A nursing home injury can be tricky for many residents of Miami and Broward, as well as their loved ones. The elderly are more prone to injuries as their bone density drops. So the case can be more complicated for a slip and fall attorney. The same hazard probably wouldn’t always cause serious injuries in a 20-year-old. This is why we expect nursing homes to take extra care. We’re putting our loved ones in their care and trusting them to provide daily care when we can’t.
Nursing homes around the country deal with slip-and-fall accidents every day. When injuries could’ve been prevented through proper caution and care, it’s time to call a slip-and-fall lawyer. How do you know when lawyers are needed? Many family members bring their case to a lawyer when they aren’t getting the answers they want. They get vague answers or none at all. Others call when another patient or visitor reports suspicious circumstances or the injuries don’t make sense. Depending on the injury, some may even call when they feel there have been too many accidents on the premises.
A Slip-and-Fall Lawyer Can Help Investigate Negligence in Nursing Homes
Even a small spill in a nursing home can turn into a disaster. In some areas like the cafeteria, you might expect spills to be more common. This also means staff members should be on their toes to escort patients around them and take other precautions to notify people. Because of the type of patients, reasonable expectations in a nursing home could be higher.
Any sign of negligence should be investigated thoroughly. Some nursing homes have security cameras installed to document contributing factors as well as for other reasons. A slip and fall attorney in Miami can request these records and investigate. Either way, it’s a lawyer’s job to review the available information.
Some don’t involve a slip at all. Instead, it could involve staff members who didn’t follow protocol. Maybe they were helping a patient with mobility issues from their wheelchair when they fell. If they used techniques that would put the patient at risk, it could be considered negligence. The same could apply if one staff member tried to assist a patient that would reasonably require two or three. Sometimes, not having a staff member to help them at all could also become a serious problem.
The circumstances of slip and fall cases are unique and complex at times. Without a slip and fall lawyer present, you could miss out on many opportunities.
Look into the Quality of Care after a Slip- and-Fall
The slip and fall itself isn’t the only thing a lawyer look into. Nursing homes in Miami take on the responsibility of providing medical care. They have doctors and nurses on staff to handle everyday needs. Some cases might need to go to local hospitals or other facilities. What happens in the hours after a fall could be as disparate as life and death for elderly residents. Are all injuries being fully addressed? Did they respond within a reasonable time and take the appropriate action? Did doctors hesitate to send more serious injuries to hospitals?
A slip-and-fall is more common in nursing homes because patients are naturally more vulnerable. This means staff members from patient care technicians to doctors should have a decisive protocol in place. When a resident is injured, they may conduct an initial assessment. Based on that assessment, they have a clear plan to ensure the highest quality of medical care.
If staff breaks the protocol or the nursing home doesn’t have reasonable safeguards in place, it could be negligence. Not receiving the proper care early on could lead to longer recovery times, more pain, and even death. Every part of their daily medical care should be recorded in charts that can be used to measure the care your loved ones received.
Protect Your Loved Ones after Nursing Home Accidents
The elderly population in South Florida is rapidly growing which can put a strain on some nursing homes. They need to hire more doctors and other medical professionals (and also support staff). It’s difficult to find people who care about the work. While the demand isn’t going away, it’s still up to nursing homes to limit their resident count to what they can handle.
Nunez Law also addresses cases of nursing home abuse and neglect. When accidents can be prevented, you deserve the proper protections. Lawsuits help you seek compensation you deserve and also to assist in ensuring the industry has the proper safeguards in place. For some nursing homes, it could be a matter of changing the way they handle a slip and fall. For others, it could mean running more background checks or take other precautions. A Miami slip and fall attorney can help you sort all this out. To discuss your case with a slip and fall lawyer you can trust, click here.