Falls are common in the elderly, and they can lead to deadly consequences.  According to the Center for Disease Control, falls are the leading cause of accidental death among those 65 or older, and the rate of falls is increasing dramatically.  Not all falls can be avoided, especially in the elderly.  But that does not mean that all falls are unavoidable, which is exactly what long term care providers believe and preach.

Determining whether a fall was unavoidable or the result of negligence requires looking at whether reasonable steps were taken to avoid falls and minimize injury in the event of a fall.  Although these cases are very fact-intensive, generally the more falls suffered by an elder the more critically we have to look at the planning and interventions put in place by the provider.

Many of our cases result from poor management after a fall.  Having a CNA or an LVN perform an “assessment” following a fall, delaying notifying the family or doctor, and having the elder found in bed with fractures from a fall are all common.  We’ve had cases where residents waited days for medical treatment and suffered a broken hip or femur that entire time.

At Johnson Moore we have handled hundreds of cases involving falls and we know what to look for to determine if the fall was the result of negligence, or if treatment was wrongfully denied or delayed.  If you have any questions, please contact us for a free consultation.