Virginia nursing home slip-and-fall attorneys

Getting justice for Virginians injured by nursing home slip-and-fall accidents

Every year, 3 million adults over 65 seek emergency room treatment for falls, and more than 800,000 fall victims are hospitalized. Older Americans are much more likely to suffer slip-and-falls. These accidents frequently cause serious injuries, and they can even be fatal.

This is a growing concern as our population continues to age, as one in five Virginians will be over 65 by 2030.

When you place your trust in a nursing home facility to care for older loved ones, you want to know that they are in good hands. If you suspect your loved one was injured in a fall due to nursing home neglect or abuse in Virginia, contact GibsonSingleton Virginia Injury Attorneys right away.

When you choose our law firm to help you in a personal injury case, you don’t pay anything unless we win. We call it our Zero Fee Guarantee.

Call us at (804) 413-6777 or toll-free at (855) 781-6777 to schedule a free consultation today.

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When nursing homes fail to protect patients from slip-and-falls

A slip-and-fall accident happens when someone loses their footing, falls, and suffers an injury. Seniors are more vulnerable to slip-and-fall accidents for many reasons. When nursing homes fail to provide adequate safeguards to prevent slip-and-falls, they may meet the standard for nursing home negligence or abuse.

Federal law requires nursing homes to create an environment that’s free from hazards and to provide adequate supervision to prevent accidents. For nursing homes to meet their legal obligations, they must develop fall prevention protocols that include the following:

• Staff training
• Adequate staffing
• Removing fall hazards such as uneven rugs
• Placing padding around beds
• Regular patient monitoring
• Low beds
• Sufficient lighting
• Bedside commodes
• Grab bars and handrails
• Mobility aids
• Nightlights
• Dry floors
• Comfortable footwear
• Clearly marked stairs
• Properly functioning wheelchair brakes
• Stickers that identify fall-risk patients
• Bed alarms that sound when patients get up
• Scoop mattresses with high edges to prevent falling out of bed
• Restroom schedules to alleviate middle-of-the-night bathroom visits

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What causes nursing home slip-and-falls?

In addition to implementing policies to prevent slip-and-fall injuries, nursing homes must also identify patients who are at risk for falling. For example, when a patient suffers a fall, it doubles the chance that he or she will experience another fall in the future.

Virginia law requires nursing home facilities to review and update every patient’s fall risk at least once a year, as well as after a fall and when there’s a change in conditions that increases the chances a fall will occur. Assessing fall risk includes assessing the patient’s physical environment, reviewing medications, and evaluating overall health.

A person’s fall risk increases with age. Over time, older people become more prone to bone injuries, their movement disorders increase, and they are less likely to have good balance. Issues that may increase an older person’s fall risk include:

• Chronic health conditions
• Cognitive disorders
• Epilepsy
• Huntington’s disease
• Dementia
• Alzheimer’s disease
• Incontinence
• Wandering behavior
• Vision problems
• Movement disorders
• Muscle weakness

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What should you do after a nursing home slip-and-fall injury in Virginia?

First, make sure your loved one is receiving proper medical treatment. Second, if you suspect that the fall was caused by nursing home negligence or mistreatment, contact your local Virginia Department of Health Office right away.

The third step for protecting your loved one is contacting GibsonSingleton Virginia Injury Attorneys. We will advise you on the best legal strategy for moving forward. Our firm has considerable experience, and we have the resources to thoroughly investigate your situation.

When our investigation is complete, our experienced Virginia injury lawyers will file a claim or lawsuit against anyone whose negligent behavior contributed to your loved one’s injuries. This may include nursing home staff, management, staffing agencies, and the owners of the facility.

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What types of injuries are typically caused by Virginia nursing home slip-and-fall accidents?

One out of five falls results in severe injuries, such as broken bones or head injuries, and falling is the most common cause of traumatic brain injury (TBI). Frequent slip-and-fall injuries suffered by seniors in nursing homes include:

• Concussions
• Hip fractures
• Organ damage
• Spinal injuries
• Neck and back injuries
• Brain damage
• Broken wrists, arms, ankles, and ribs

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Who should I call to help protect my loved one?

At GibsonSingleton Virginia Injury Attorneys, our partners, Ken Gibson and John Singleton, are both former U.S. Marines who consider helping the people of Virginia to be a calling. They have impressive track records, and they use their experience to get justice for those who have been harmed by the careless actions of others. That’s why one of their mottos is “big city experience, small town care.”

Give us a call at (804) 413-6777 or toll-free at (855) 781-6777 to learn more today.

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