Common Causes of Nursing Home Falls
Understanding how a fall occurred is an important part of evaluating a potential nursing home injury claim. Several preventable conditions and care failures can contribute to falls.
Inadequate Supervision
Residents with balance problems, confusion, weakness, or mobility limitations may need help walking, standing, or moving between a bed and chair. If staff members fail to provide the assistance identified in a resident’s care plan, the resident may attempt a movement they cannot safely complete alone.
Failure to Follow Fall-Prevention Plans
A nursing home should account for a resident’s individual needs when developing and updating a care plan. Depending on the resident’s condition, precautions might include scheduled assistance, supervised walking, accessible mobility aids, or other appropriate safety measures. When staff members fail to follow those precautions, a known risk may go unaddressed.
Unsafe Floors and Walkways
Wet floors, spilled liquids, uneven surfaces, loose carpeting, poor lighting, and clutter can create tripping or slipping hazards. Facilities should maintain reasonably safe common areas, bedrooms, bathrooms, and hallways.
A resident who falls because staff members failed to address a known hazard may have grounds to pursue a claim, depending on the circumstances.
Improper Transfers and Mobility Assistance
Moving between a bed, a wheelchair, a toilet, or a shower can require careful assistance. Staff members who rush a transfer, use equipment improperly, or fail to provide the required support may increase the risk of a fall.
Insufficient Staffing
Residents may be left waiting for assistance when a facility does not have enough staff available to meet their needs. A resident who attempts to get out of bed after a prolonged wait for help may fall before anyone arrives.
Staffing levels alone do not establish negligence, but staffing records and response times can help show whether a facility provided the care and supervision residents required.
Medication-Related Problems
Certain medications can cause dizziness, drowsiness, confusion, or changes in blood pressure. Nursing homes and appropriate medical professionals should consider these risks when evaluating a resident’s condition and fall-prevention needs.
If a medication error or failure to respond to known side effects contributed to a fall, the circumstances may warrant further investigation.
Injuries Caused by Nursing Home Falls
Falls can cause injuries ranging from temporary soreness to permanent disability. The severity often depends on the resident’s health, the force of the fall, and how quickly appropriate treatment is provided.
Common nursing home fall injuries include:
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- Hip fractures: A hip fracture may require surgery, rehabilitation, and an extended recovery period. Some residents experience lasting mobility limitations or are unable to return to their previous level of independence.
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- Head injuries: A fall can cause a concussion, traumatic brain injury, or bleeding inside the skull. Head injuries may be difficult to recognize immediately, particularly in residents who have difficulty communicating their symptoms.
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- Broken arms, wrists, and legs: Fractures may interfere with walking, dressing, bathing, and other daily activities. Treatment can involve surgery, immobilization, and physical therapy.
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- Spinal injuries: Falls can cause vertebral fractures, nerve damage, and other back injuries that affect mobility and comfort.
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- Cuts and bruises: Some residents sustain deep cuts, extensive bruising, or wounds requiring medical attention.
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- Loss of mobility and independence: Even when a resident has no major fracture, pain and fear of falling again may interfere with walking and everyday activities.
A fall can also worsen an existing medical condition or trigger complications during recovery. Prompt medical evaluation is important when a resident experiences pain, confusion, weakness, difficulty walking, or other concerning symptoms after an incident.
Signs Your Loved One May Have Been Neglected After a Fall
A nursing home may not always provide a clear or complete explanation of how a resident was injured. Families should pay attention to physical changes, medical complications, and inconsistencies in the facility’s account of an incident.
Warning signs may include:
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- Unexplained bruises, cuts, swelling, or other injuries.
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- Repeated falls without a clear explanation or changes to the resident’s care plan.
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- Delayed medical treatment after a reported fall.
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- New difficulty walking, standing, or performing everyday tasks.
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- Changes in alertness, confusion, or unusual behavior following an incident.
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- Incomplete incident reports or conflicting explanations from staff members.
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- A sudden decline in mobility or independence without an adequate medical explanation.
These signs do not automatically prove negligence. However, they may indicate that the facility needs to explain what happened and how it responded.
If you suspect your loved one has been neglected, ask the facility for information about the incident, request an appropriate medical evaluation, and document what you observe. If you believe the resident remains in danger, consider contacting the appropriate state oversight agency and seeking advice about safer care arrangements.
How KNR Investigates Ohio Nursing Home Fall Claims
Establishing a nursing home fall claim requires more than showing that a resident was injured. The evidence must support the legal basis for liability and connect the facility’s conduct to the harm suffered.
Our attorneys can investigate the incident and examine records that may explain how the fall occurred.
Reviewing Medical Records and Care Plans
Medical records can help establish a resident’s condition before and after the fall. Care plans may identify mobility restrictions, previous falls, supervision requirements, and precautions the facility was expected to follow.
Comparing those records with the circumstances of the incident may reveal whether staff members overlooked a known risk.
Examining Incident Reports and Facility Records
Nursing homes may create incident reports, document staff observations, and maintain records concerning a resident’s care. Relevant documentation can help establish when the fall occurred, who was present, what staff members observed, and what steps were followed.
Staffing records, training materials, and internal communications may also be relevant when the claim involves inadequate supervision or failures in care procedures.
Interviewing Witnesses
Staff members, other residents, visitors, and family members may have information about the incident or the care provided beforehand. Witness accounts can help clarify conflicting explanations and identify additional evidence.
Consulting Appropriate Experts
Depending on the case, medical professionals, nursing-care experts, or other specialists may help evaluate the resident’s injuries, the care provided, and whether the facility’s actions met applicable standards.
Identifying Responsible Parties
The nursing home may not be the only party responsible for an injury. An investigation may need to examine the conduct of individual employees, outside contractors, management companies, or other entities involved in providing care.
KNR can use the available evidence to evaluate liability, document the resident’s losses, and pursue a claim against the appropriate parties.
Compensation for Nursing Home Fall Injuries in Ohio
When negligence causes a nursing home fall, the injured resident may be entitled to compensation for losses resulting from the incident. The damages available depend on the injuries, the evidence, and the legal claims involved.
Medical Expenses
Compensation may include reasonable medical costs related to the fall, such as emergency treatment, hospitalization, surgery, medication, rehabilitation, and follow-up appointments. Future medical expenses may also be considered when supported by the evidence.
Pain and Suffering
A fall can cause physical pain, emotional distress, and a loss of enjoyment of daily activities. A claim may account for the effects of the injury, including the difficulty of recovering from a fracture or adjusting to lasting physical limitations.
Additional Care and Rehabilitation
Some residents need additional assistance after a fall, including physical therapy, mobility equipment, or a higher level of care. When those expenses result from the injury and are legally recoverable, they may be included in a claim.
Disability and Reduced Independence
A serious injury may prevent a resident from walking independently, completing daily tasks, or participating in familiar activities. The lasting effects of the injury may be relevant when evaluating damages.
Wrongful Death Damages
If a preventable fall leads to a resident’s death, eligible family members may be able to pursue a wrongful death claim under Ohio law. Depending on the circumstances, recoverable damages may include loss of support, services, companionship, and other legally recognized losses.
The value of a claim depends on the nature of the injury, the resident’s prognosis, the available evidence, and the applicable law. KNR can review the circumstances and explain which types of compensation may be available.
Ohio Laws Protecting Nursing Home Residents
Ohio law provides protections for nursing home residents, including rights relating to appropriate care, dignity, and safety. Ohio Revised Code Chapter 3721 addresses nursing home regulation and residents’ rights. Certain violations of those rights may support a civil action when the statutory requirements are met.
A resident’s fall may raise questions about whether the facility respected those rights and provided appropriate care. However, not every fall establishes a violation, and the legal options depend on the facility, the facts, and the nature of the claim.
Some cases may involve ordinary negligence, while others may qualify as medical claims under Ohio law. That distinction can affect the applicable legal standards, procedural requirements, and filing deadlines.
Because nursing home injury cases can involve overlapping legal issues, an attorney can help determine which laws apply and what evidence is needed to pursue a claim.
How Long Do You Have to File a Nursing Home Fall Injury Claim in Ohio?
The deadline for filing a nursing home fall injury lawsuit depends on the type of claim and the circumstances of the injury. Ordinary personal injury claims generally have a two-year statute of limitations under Ohio law. Claims that qualify as medical claims may be subject to different deadlines and requirements, and claims involving violations of statutory residents’ rights may require a separate analysis.
Wrongful death claims also have their own filing deadline. Additional rules may apply when a resident is unable to pursue a claim independently or when another person is legally authorized to act on the resident’s behalf.
Do not assume that the same deadline applies to every nursing home injury case. Delaying an investigation can also make it harder to obtain records, locate witnesses, and preserve relevant evidence.
Contacting a lawyer promptly can help your family understand which deadline applies and avoid missing the opportunity to pursue a claim.
Why Choose Kisling, Nestico & Redick?
When a nursing home fall causes serious harm, families need answers about what happened and whether the facility could have prevented it. KNR has represented injured Ohioans since 2005 and helps people pursue compensation when negligence affects their health and quality of life.
Our attorneys investigate injury claims, gather evidence, work with appropriate experts, and address insurance and legal issues on behalf of injured clients. We also examine whether responsibility extends beyond an individual employee to the facility’s management or other parties.
When you work with KNR, our team can:
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- Review the circumstances surrounding the fall and explain your legal options.
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- Obtain and examine relevant medical records, care plans, and incident documentation.
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- Investigate whether staffing, supervision, or safety failures contributed to the injury.
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- Identify potentially responsible parties and applicable insurance coverage.
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- Evaluate medical expenses, pain and suffering, and other legally recoverable losses.
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- Negotiate with insurers and pursue litigation when necessary.
KNR offers free consultations and handles qualifying injury cases on a contingency fee basis. You pay no attorney fees unless we recover compensation for you, subject to the terms of the fee agreement.
Contact Our Ohio Nursing Home Fall Injury Lawyers
If your loved one suffered a serious fall in an Ohio nursing home, you deserve to know whether inadequate care contributed to the injury. A prompt investigation may help preserve evidence, clarify what happened, and determine whether the facility should be held accountable.
Kisling, Nestico & Redick represents injured people and families throughout Ohio. With offices across the state, our team can help you understand your options and take the next steps toward pursuing compensation.
Call 1-800-HURT-NOW or contact KNR online for a free, no-obligation consultation. Our team is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
