Hospital Negligence May Lead to Serious Fall Injuries

A Virginia jury awarded $3.5 million to an 87-year-old woman who was reportedly hurt in 2006 when she fell from a hospital bed following hip surgery. (WKW was not involved in this case.) Shirley Burrell allegedly became permanently disabled after falling from her bed while a patient at Riverside Regional Medical Center. Burrell purportedly sustained a severe hip fracture and suffered a stroke after the fall.

Negligence of Hospital Staff

In her lawsuit, Burrell claimed that hospital staff failed to implement the proper safety measures to protect the patient from falling. The case claims Burrell should have been moved to a room that was closer to a nurse’s station, soft restraints should have been used on the elderly woman, or a member of the hospital’s staff should have been placed in her room to watch her. Nurses treating Burrell also reportedly failed to utilize a bed alarm designed to alert them to patient falls because the electronic system was too sensitive and sometimes provided false positives. In addition, Burrell’s complaint accused the hospital of failing to address a high patient fall rate that has purportedly existed at the facility for many years.

Elderly Patients at Risk of Falling

According to Burrell’s attorney, elderly patients are frequently injured in falls at hospitals and skilled nursing facilities throughout the nation. He said the verdict sends a message to healthcare facilities across the country that seniors must be protected and are not disposable. A prepared statement issued by Riverside Regional Medical Center stated the hospital is currently considering whether to appeal the jury’s verdict.

Fall injuries sustained by senior adults are often quite serious. Data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention states one in three Americans over the age of 65 fall each year. In addition, preventable falls are reportedly the leading cause of severe injury and death for elderly Americans.

Falls may cause broken bones, traumatic brain injuries, spinal cord trauma, and even death. In 2010, approximately 2.3 million senior citizens across the country were treated in a hospital emergency room for an injury sustained in a fall, and at least 662,000 were admitted for further treatment. During the previous year, more than 20,000 elderly individuals reportedly died as a result of an injury sustained in a fall.

Contact a Medical Malpractice Attorney Today

Unfortunately, the injuries suffered as a result of hospital or healthcare facility neglect can be serious and life-altering. In Indiana, medical professionals must provide all patients with a level of care that meets the accepted standards of practice for their profession.

If you or a loved one have been injured as a result of hospital negligence, you are urged to contact the attorneys of Wilson Kehoe Winingham. An experienced Indianapolis medical malpractice lawyer at WKW can help you get the compensation you deserve. Call 317.920.6400 or fill out an online contact form for a free, no-obligation case evaluation.

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