Start Now!
Interested in working with us? Call us at 312.263.1080 or fill out this quick form and we will contact you within 24 hours!
Practice
Blog 
Nursing Home Falls
Articles
If you or a loved one have been the victim of an Illinois nursing home fall, contact our Chicago nursing home lawyers right away.
Lawsuits Resulting From Nursing Home Falls Are Different From General Fall Suits
One of the common concerns that lead family members to admit a loved one into a nursing home is the occurrence of falls. Sometimes, frequent falls lead family members to conclude that there is a safety risk that they simply cannot address themselves and closer supervision in a nursing home setting is needed to prevent injury from falls. Other times, the decision to go to a nursing home has come too late – injury from fall has already occurred, and the fall victim is in need of rehabilitation and supervision to prevent further injury from falls. Another scenario is a fall where the senior is unable to get up on their own or to call assistance. These situations motivate concerned, well-meaning family members to admit their loved one to a nursing home.
Cases resulting from injuries suffered from nursing home falls are very different from those involving falls that occur elsewhere, such as in a grocery store. The special differences between the two kinds of cases require that a specialized approach be taken in representing nursing home residents who are injured in a nursing home fall.
Unlike falls involving normal, healthy adults, nursing home falls are, to a large extent, foreseeable, and special plans must be made for their prevention.
Nursing home residents are often susceptible to falling for the following reasons:- Declining physical condition
- Confusion and poor decision-making
- Medications
- The need for assisting devices, such as canes or walkers
Nursing homes are required to make ongoing assessments of the fall risk for each resident and to develop plans to prevent a nursing home fall from occurring. They are also required by federal regulations to keep the facility free of the hazards that can cause accidents.
The following is a list of some pf the issues at the heart of nursing home fall lawsuits:
- The adequacy of the fall risk assessment
- The adequacy of the treatment plan
- The implementation of that plan
Many nursing home residents suffer from osteoporosis, commonly referred to as brittle bone disease. This makes them especially vulnerable to injury if they fall. Broken hips and other fractures are often the result of a nursing home fall, and if the person is also suffering from malnutrition or has some other health condition, which impedes healing, recovery, can be slow and may never be complete.
Many studies have shown that fractures often have an adverse effect on the life expectancy of the nursing home resident. These factors should be carefully considered in assessing the liability of the nursing home when a resident suffers an injury in a nursing home fall. Be sure to read our 5 tips to help prevent nursing home falls.
If you or a loved one have fallen in a nursing home, contact our experienced Illinois nursing home fall lawyers. We are more than happy to answer any questions you may have.
We serve our clients in Illinois cities and counties, including:
Cook County: Chicago, Schaumburg, Northbrook, Evanston, Oak Lawn, Melrose Park, Elk Grove Village, Elmwood Park, Park Ridge, Oak Park, Matteson, Maywood, Bellwood, Glenview, LaGrange, Chicago Heights, Lansing, Mt. Prospect, Arlington Heights, Bedford Park, Orland Park, Tinley Park, Rolling Meadows, Dolton, Harvey, Bridgeview.
DuPage County: Naperville, Wheaton, Lombard, Glen Ellyn,, Hinsdale, West Chicago, Downers Grove, Westmont, Oak Brook, Itasca, Bloomingdale, Carol Stream, Elmhurst, Roselle , Addison, Burr Ridge.
Will County: Joliet,, Plainfield, Frankfort, Wilmington, Bolingbrook, Lockpor,
Beecher, Channahon, Crete, Orland Park, Shorewood, University Park:
Lake County: Waukegan, Libertyville, Round Lake, Lake Bluff, Lake Forest, Lake Villa, Buffalo Grove, Deerfield, Barrington, Long Grove, North Chicago, Riverwoods, Wauconda, Gurnee, Highland Park, Zion, Wheeling, Lincolnshire,
Kane County: Geneva, Aurora, St. Charles, Elgin, Carpentersville, Huntley, Batavia,
Winnebago County: Rockford, Rockton, Loves Park, Durand, South Beloit,
DeKalb County: Sycamore, Sandwich, DeKalb, Hinckley, Shabbona
McHenry County: Woodstock, Crystal Lake, Marengo, McHenry, Harvard
Kankakee County: Kankakee, Bradley, Bourbonnais, Manteno, Momence
Grundy County: Morris
LaSalle County: Ottawa, Streator, Marseilles, LaSalle, Peru, Mendota
Boone County: Belvidere
Peoria County: Peoria, Chillicothe, Peoria Heights
McLean County: Bloomington, Normal, Chenoa, Leroy, Colfax
Champaign County: Champaign, Urbana, Tolono, Gifford, Savoy St. Joseph
Tazewell County: Pekin, Morton, East Peoria, Hopedale, Washington
Cook County: Chicago, Schaumburg, Northbrook, Evanston, Oak Lawn, Melrose Park, Elk Grove Village, Elmwood Park, Park Ridge, Oak Park, Matteson, Maywood, Bellwood, Glenview, LaGrange, Chicago Heights, Lansing, Mt. Prospect, Arlington Heights, Bedford Park, Orland Park, Tinley Park, Rolling Meadows, Dolton, Harvey, Bridgeview.
DuPage County: Naperville, Wheaton, Lombard, Glen Ellyn,, Hinsdale, West Chicago, Downers Grove, Westmont, Oak Brook, Itasca, Bloomingdale, Carol Stream, Elmhurst, Roselle , Addison, Burr Ridge.
Will County: Joliet,, Plainfield, Frankfort, Wilmington, Bolingbrook, Lockpor,
Beecher, Channahon, Crete, Orland Park, Shorewood, University Park:
Lake County: Waukegan, Libertyville, Round Lake, Lake Bluff, Lake Forest, Lake Villa, Buffalo Grove, Deerfield, Barrington, Long Grove, North Chicago, Riverwoods, Wauconda, Gurnee, Highland Park, Zion, Wheeling, Lincolnshire,
Kane County: Geneva, Aurora, St. Charles, Elgin, Carpentersville, Huntley, Batavia,
Winnebago County: Rockford, Rockton, Loves Park, Durand, South Beloit,
DeKalb County: Sycamore, Sandwich, DeKalb, Hinckley, Shabbona
McHenry County: Woodstock, Crystal Lake, Marengo, McHenry, Harvard
Kankakee County: Kankakee, Bradley, Bourbonnais, Manteno, Momence
Grundy County: Morris
LaSalle County: Ottawa, Streator, Marseilles, LaSalle, Peru, Mendota
Boone County: Belvidere
Peoria County: Peoria, Chillicothe, Peoria Heights
McLean County: Bloomington, Normal, Chenoa, Leroy, Colfax
Champaign County: Champaign, Urbana, Tolono, Gifford, Savoy St. Joseph
Tazewell County: Pekin, Morton, East Peoria, Hopedale, Washington
Frequent Questions for Nursing Home Falls:
Library for Nursing Home Falls:
- 5 Steps You Can Take to Help Prevent Nursing Home Falls
If you're loved one is in a nursing home, our Illinois nursing home fall lawyers have provided a list of 5 step that can help prevent nursing home falls. - Nursing Home Falls Often Lead to Hip Fractures and Surgery
Nursing home falls often result in elderly hip fractures which require hip surgery. Hip surgery for elderly patients carry significant risks. - Preventing Falls in Nursing Homes
While the primary responsibility for preventing falls of residents in nursing homes falls on the nursing home staff, there are some steps that family members can do to prevent loved ones from falling in nursing homes and suffering devastating injuries such as hip fractures.
