Maryland Nursing Home Hip Fractures Lawyer
For a senior citizen, breaking a hip is one of the worst injuries a person can suffer. When hip fractures occur in nursing homes, the accident may be due to the nursing home facility’s negligence, and it can cause a sharp decline in a resident’s health.
Nursing homes have a duty to their residents to provide an environment free of dangerous hazards that could lead to falls and accidents, and when these incidents do occur, it is possible that the nursing home facility could be liable for the patient’s injuries and damages.
If you or your loved one suffered a hip fracture in a nursing home facility, an experienced Maryland nursing home hip fractures lawyer can help you seek to hold the nursing home accountable.
Hip Fractures in Older Persons
Each year in the U.S., roughly 300,000 people are hospitalized for broken hips, many requiring surgery. In fact, hip fractures are the most common type of broken bone needing treatment in the hospital.
Frighteningly, nearly half of all nursing home residents over age 75 who suffer a hip fracture die within the following year. This is one reason why it is so important to have an experienced Maryland nursing home hip fractures lawyer on your side who can work to make sure your loved one gets the care they need.
Hip fractures are more likely to occur in older people over age 60, since they may have osteoporosis, and their bones may not be as strong. This is one reason why nursing homes should take special steps to prevent falls and accidents that could lead to hip fractures.
Common Causes of Hip Fractures in Nursing Homes
There are many ways a hip fracture could occur in a nursing home, the most common of which is falling. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that almost all hip fractures are caused by falling, usually falling sideways. In fact, over ten percent of all nursing home falls result in a hip fracture. Some of the other common causes of hip fractures include but are not limited to:
- Falls from bed, while bathing, or slip, trip, and fall injuries
- Accidents, including wheelchair accidents
- Undiagnosed tumors or bone infections from lack of adequate medical care
- Lack of handrails, bedrails, or proper assistive hardware
- Undiagnosed previous stress fractures that are exacerbated
- Poor eyesight and balance
- Lack of mobility and exercise, including nursing home staff not providing adequate mobility and repositioning
Whatever the reason for a victim’s hip fracture in their nursing home, an experienced Maryland nursing home hip fractures attorney can look into what happened and determine who may be responsible.
How a Maryland Nursing Home Hip Fractures Attorney Can Help
Regardless of the circumstances that led to your loved one’s hip fracture, a skilled Maryland nursing home hip fractures attorney can work to obtain compensation from the negligent nursing home.
Your relative may be eligible for damages, including economic losses like medical bills, cost of surgery and hip replacement, lost wages, pain medication, and physical therapy, as well as nonmonetary costs, such as pain and suffering and loss of enjoyment in life.
If the Maryland nursing home acted especially egregiously, it is possible the court could award punitive damages meant to punish the wrongdoing facility and deter future bad behavior.
Your skilled Maryland nursing home hip fractures lawyer can work with your family to determine what type of damages you may be eligible to seek.
