Our Monday blog post discussed a slip and fall injury that seriously injured an elderly handicapped woman. Because of their age, elderly people are susceptible to severe injuries and even death from a slip and fall accident. A younger person might easily get up from a slip and fall, but older people can suffer fractures, bone breaks, joint damage and head trauma because they cannot catch themselves and break their fall.
According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), there are about 1,800 nursing home deaths every year from slip and fall accidents. The fatalities and injuries are caused by the obvious hazards of wet floors and poor lighting conditions. However, there are additional causes that might not be so obvious.
A heavily medicated patient is more prone to losing his or her balance and falling. Other patients have suffered severe injuries after falling from a poorly maintained wheelchair or from a bed that is too high. If you have a loved one injured in a slip and fall accident, an experienced attorney will know what facts to investigate to determine the cause of the accident. The nursing home could be responsible for the injuries or wrongful death.
There is more information about slip and fall accidents on our website. You are always welcome to call us at 504-522-7885 if you would like a free case review with a personal injury attorney.
Harrell & Nowak, L.L.C. – New Orleans injury lawyers