Clearwater Nursing Home Hip Fractures
Clearwater nursing home hip fractures are particularly problematic for individuals aged 65 and older. According to the American Medical Association, approximately 300,000 people over the age of 65 sustain a broken hip each year. Of those injured, 50 percent will never be able to stand from a chair again by themselves. Moreover, 90 percent will be unable to climb more than five stairs without assistance.
If you or a loved one sustained a hip fracture in a Clearwater nursing home, you may be entitled to recover legal compensation. An adept nursing home abuse lawyer could help you evaluate your case and pursue the compensation you need and deserve.
What Leads to Hip Fractures in Nursing Homes?
The unfortunate reality of hip fractures sustained in nursing homes is that most of them are preventable. Although many seniors have difficulty walking and may have weak bones and muscles, unnecessary hazards in nursing homes can exacerbate these medical conditions. When it comes to hip fracture cases, nursing home negligence often includes:
- Failure to provide adequate lighting (especially in hallways, bathrooms, and common areas)
- Failure to properly clean up spills on the floor in a timely manner
- Failure to ensure that wheelchairs and beds are properly locked
- Failure to properly monitor patients and provide them with the assistance they need
When a nursing home fails to fulfill any of these responsibilities, then it may be on the line for negligence.
How to Recover Damages for Clearwater Nursing Home Hip Fractures
Clearwater nursing home hip fractures can be extremely serious. Not only is a hip fracture painful, but it can result in the need for expensive future medical procedures. Given the right approach, all of this can be compensable under the law.
What Must an Injured Person do to Obtain Damages?
In order to recover damages in a nursing home hip fracture case, the patient must first be able to show that the nursing home was negligent. Negligence in this context means that the nursing home did something that it should not have done—or failed to do something that it should have done. Usually, this means that the nursing home failed to properly maintain the home, monitor patients, or provide them with proper medical care and treatment.
Proving medical negligence and obtaining money damages in the nursing home context can be difficult since nursing homes often have experienced insurance companies and skilled defense attorneys by their side. Independent medical experts can be invaluable to patients in a medical negligence case. A medical expert can help demonstrate that the nursing home violated the standard of care and acted unreasonably.
Call a Clearwater Nursing Home Hip Fractures Lawyer to Discuss Your Case
Once a patient proves negligence on the part of the nursing home, they may be able to recover compensation for all of their medical and physical therapy bills, emotional distress, and pain and suffering. An injured patient may also be able to recover the costs of related future medical procedures.
If you or a loved one sustained a hip fracture as a result of a nursing facility’s negligence, you should contact a lawyer as soon as possible. A Clearwater nursing home hip fractures lawyer could explain all your legal options and safeguard all your legal rights while your case is pending.