Falls in Hartford Nursing Homes

By nature, nursing homes and assisted living facilities are full of long-term residents dealing with significant physical or cognitive limitations that can affect their ability to move around on their own. Because of this, nursing home staff members have the responsibility to do everything possible to prevent residents from suffering injury as a result of accidental slips, trips, or falls.

If you or someone you love was hurt through a preventable fall in a Hartford nursing home, you may have grounds to take legal action against various people whose misconduct contributed to causing the accident.  A capable nursing home abuse lawyer from Berkowitz and Hanna LLC can ensure your rights are respected throughout your legal proceedings and work diligently for the compensation your family deserves.

How Negligence Can Lead to Nursing Home Falls

It is important to understand that nursing home staff members and administrators are not automatically liable for every single fall-related injury that happens within their facility. Premises liability law in Connecticut only holds landowners liable for injuries on their property if the injury stemmed directly from the landowner’s breach of the duty of care owed to the injured person. Nursing home residents are particularly likely to fall—and suffer serious injuries from such accidents—compared to other adults. There is only so much that even the most dedicated staff members can do to completely prevent these kinds of incidents from occurring.

However, it may be possible to sue over falls in Hartford nursing homes caused by reckless and careless failures by nursing home employees to provide reasonably safe accommodations for residents. Examples of such failures include:

  • Lack of proper supervision for residents
  • Broken or missing handrails in hallways and other public areas
  • Unmarked spills, cluttered walkways, and other slipping and tripping hazards unaddressed for long periods of time
  • Failure to provide functional assistive equipment like walkers and wheelchairs when appropriate

An experienced neglect attorney can offer more specific guidance during a private consultation about whether litigation may be possible.

Seeking Compensation on a Loved One’s Behalf

Legal counsel can also help proactively demand reimbursement for specific damages caused by a Hartford nursing home fall. Depending on the circumstances, it may be possible to recover both economic forms of harm like medical bills and personal property damage, and non-economic forms of harm like physical pain and emotional distress.

Notably, any nursing home resident who is cognitively capable of representing their own best interests in court can file suit over a nursing home injury on their own if they wish. However, if a nursing home fall injury victim is not able to represent themselves, their immediate family members can often file suit and demand compensation on their behalf.

Contact a Hartford Attorney for Help Suing Over a Nursing Home Fall

Accidental falls in Hartford nursing homes can cause life-altering and sometimes even life-threatening injuries to the residents involved. Unfortunately, they can also be tricky to file suit over, just like many other forms of negligence inside nursing homes that lead to vulnerable people suffering preventable harm.

If you want to take effective legal action over this kind of accident for yourself or a close family member, you should seek help from a knowledgeable nursing home neglect lawyer sooner rather than later. Call Berkowitz and Hanna LLC today to set up your free consultation.