Nursing home injuries are more common in Dubuque than one might think. Care facilities are mandated by law to take care of their residents with respect and dignity. They hire medical professionals to provide adequate attention and treatment to every individual who requires it and are given training to prevent mistakes that can lead to fatal injuries. Even with all these measures, most staff members at rest homes treat residents inappropriately and neglect their duties. Often, nursing home abuse and injuries result from pure negligence or mistakes. Either they fail to provide hourly routine care for the patients or forget to administer medications at the appropriate time. They do the opposite of what they are hired for, and in some cases, they intentionally harm the elderly and sick people. These issues lead to accidents that cause injuries like burns, scratches, trauma, broken fractures, and lifelong conditions. Among all those unforeseen events, slip and fall accidents are the most common. One must know what to do, what not to do, and how to proceed with a legal claim in such cases.
If you have suffered significant financial and mental losses due to a nursing home injury, you must seek legal guidance to protect your rights. You can hire a renowned attorney or law firm, such as RSH Legal, to assist you.
What to do when an unexpected nursing home injury occurs?
Injuries from falls and slips occur when someone fails to properly maintain the nursing home premises. Wet floors, slippery substances, falling objects from racks, extreme weather, and unsafe conditions lead to fall and slip injuries. These can result in concussions, fatigue, traumatic brain injuries, swelling, broken bones, spinal fractures, and more. The National Safety Council lists slip and fall injuries as the number one preventable injury.
It doesn’t matter whether the individual is young, agile, old, or mobile. Even people with strong immunity and healthy bones can be severely affected by slip and fall injuries. Thus, it is a serious and often overlooked issue.
If someone falls or slips on nursing home premises, the authorities and staff members can be held accountable.
Here are the steps you must take in the aftermath of these events:
- Report the accident: Report to the authorities, including managers, supervisors, employers, medical professionals, and your local police, if you were intentionally thrown or pushed into a fall. Obtain an additional copy of the filed report, as documentation is crucial while pursuing a personal injury claim.
- See a doctor: Seek medical attention as soon as possible to avoid exacerbating your condition. A specialized doctor will advise on proper care and suggest the best treatment for healing. Make sure you keep a record of medical treatments and bills.
- Be cautious: After the injury, identify the area that shows numbness and swelling. Do not attempt to get back on your feet or move; wait for the medical team or professionals to arrive. Avoid pushing or aggavating your injuries in any way.
- Gather crucial evidence: Evidence determines the outcome of your case. Collect any relevant evidence—physical, chemical, or biological—that can support your claim. Take snapshots of the wet floor or substances that caused the injury, of your wounds, and other hazardous conditions that could have been repaired or removed but were not.
Write down the specifics and affairs of the case, including what you remember, interactions, conversations, and the events following the injury. This will help bring clarity to the course of events and assist the opposing counsel, your lawyer, and your doctor in determining the severity of your damages (physically and mentally).
