Are Hospitals Responsible for Falling Out of Bed Injuries?

If you or a loved one are in the hospital, you expect the staff to take all steps necessary to keep you safe. This can include understanding that some patients are more at risk of falling out of bed. All facilities should have procedures dealing with patients at risk of falling. At The Weitz Firm, LLC we are ready to help if you or a loved one have fallen out of bed and been injured at the hospital. When you need a Philadelphia patient falling out of bed attorney, call us today so we can secure the compensation you deserve.

What can happen in these situations?

All patients should be assessed for risk factors, including the risk they will fall out of bed. While many people immediately think of this being a problem amongst elderly patients, that is not the only demographic at risk of hospital bed falls. Others include:

• Newborns and young children
• Anyone with a serious illness
• Those with certain disabilities
• Patients in a weakened state
• And more

Medicare no longer provides hospital reimbursement for certain issues of what they consider “reasonably preventable” mistakes, including many instances of patients falling out of bed.

There are several ways in which patients can fall out of their hospital beds:

• Failure to raise the protective guardrail
• Failure to properly assess a patient’s risk of falling
• Postponement in the time it takes to respond to a patient’s calls
• Administering a medication that alters a patient’s state of being
• Not setting or turning off bed and motion alarms if being used

It is critical that patients are kept as safe as possible. Even though hospital beds are not too high off the ground, patients can still suffer from a range of injuries as a result of falls. This can include:

• Broken and dislocated bones
• Back and neck injuries
• Head injuries or traumatic brain injuries
• Concussions
• Contusions and lacerations
• And more

When these injuries occur, they can exasperate the patient’s current medical conditions. Fall injuries can increase a person’s stay in the hospital, thereby significantly increasing their overall costs. For some patients, they could be permanently disabled due to a fall injury, leading to them needing long-term care upon being released from the hospital.

How we will work to secure compensation

If you or someone you love has suffered an injury after falling out of bed at a hospital, you may be entitled to compensation. At The Weitz Firm, LLC we are here to help those who have been harmed due to the careless or negligent actions of medical professionals. We will get to the bottom of what happened so we can secure the compensation you deserve, including:

• Your medical expenses related to the incident
• Lost wages and benefits if you cannot work
• Pain and suffering damages
• Loss of personal enjoyment damages
• Possible punitive damages against those responsible

When you need a Philadelphia hospital fall attorney, you can contact us for a free consultation by clicking here or calling 267-587-6240.