Washington DC Nursing Home Restraint Injuries Lawyer
Some residents in nursing homes require a certain amount of physical restraint to receive proper care. This can be due to either physical conditions that result in involuntary motions or mental conditions where a person may lose conscious control. In either event, staff or nurses in nursing homes may need to restrain a resident to prevent them from harming themselves or others.
Still, the step of restraining a resident should not be done without proper training or care. There are approved ways to restrain a patient and a failure to use proper methods or timing could result in severe injuries. Residents injured in this way may have the right to demand compensation.
A Washington DC nursing home restraint injuries lawyer could help injured residents and their families to examine the facts that led to their injuries. An experienced attorney then works to frame those injuries within the proper cause of action and to demand appropriate compensation for their losses.
The Duties of Nursing Homes to Care for Residents
All nursing homes in Washington DC have an absolute duty to protect their residents from any foreseeable harm. While this certainly includes harm that results from any intentional abuse committed by staff members or other residents, it also includes a duty to protect patients from any accidental injury.
One key source of these accidental injuries are staff members who use improper restraints to hold down residents. Perhaps a resident is having a poor reaction to a medication. Maybe the resident is suffering from a mental condition that leaves them unaware of their surroundings. Staff should receive proper training as to how to safely restrain a resident in a way that does not cause any further injury. Sadly, incidents that result from improper restraints are common.
Ways that Improper Restraints May Cause an Injury
People who are living in nursing homes are already in a fragile state. They live in these facilities because they require around the clock attention for physical or mental conditions. As a result, they are vulnerable to new injuries that could result from a momentary forceful impact or loss of balance.
Using a non-approved restraint technique could cause a serious injury. Simply grabbing a resident by the arm could cause severe bruising that leads to internal bleeding, could separate a joint, or even break a bone.
Holding patients down in bed for extended periods of time may result in bed sores that could threaten a person’s life. More extreme cases of grabbing a person while standing could force them to the ground resulting in severe trauma.
A Washington DC nursing home restraint injuries lawyer could help clients to examine the facts that led to their injury and to place blame on nursing homes when appropriate.
Talk to a DC Nursing Home Restraint Injuries Attorney Today
Accidental injuries that result from the improper use of restraints in Washington DC are a leading cause of injuries in nursing homes. However, even through these injuries are accidents, it does not mean that the nursing home may not have civil liability for any injury that results.
Nursing homes have a duty to protect their residents from all foreseeable harm. A poorly trained or temperamental staff member who uses a non-approved restraint may leave their employer responsible for any damage that results.
A Washington DC nursing home restraint injuries lawyer could help residents and their families to pursue at-fault nursing homes for compensation. This could include payments for medical bills as well as for any emotional trauma endured in the incident. However, potential clients should act with haste. DC Code §12-301 gives plaintiffs only three years from the date loss to file a claim. Contact an attorney today to discuss your options.