When patients seek treatment at a medical facility, they expect to receive the highest level of care and respect possible. That includes being kept safe before and after their treatment. However, while under the care of healthcare professionals, accidents occur. Unfortunately, it is not uncommon for someone to sustain injuries due to an inpatient fall while being treated in a healthcare facility.
The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) estimates that around 700,000 to 1 million hospitalized patients suffer falls every year. These falls can lead to serious, or even fatal, injuries. In fact, studies have shown a link between the immobility caused by a broken hip (even reparable hips) and death in elderly patients.
Common Inpatient Fall Injuries
Inpatient falls can happen under a variety of circumstances. Often, patients who suffer inpatient falls are in vulnerable states because of the treatment they have received.. The traumatic impact of inpatient falls can lead to severe outcomes.
Some of the most common injuries sustained in these accidents include:
- Broken hips
- Broken wrists
- Broken arms
- Broken ankles
- Broken legs
- Concussions
- Soft tissue injuries
- Abrasions
- Unconsciousness
- Traumatic brain injuries
In the most grievous of instances, the injuries suffered from an inpatient fall can even cause a patient’s death.
Filing a Medical Malpractice Claim
In some situations, inpatient falls are unpreventable. However, in other cases inpatient falls occur because healthcare providers failed to the follow the necessary precautions to keep patients safe.
If you suffered an inpatient fall while at a healthcare facility, then you may have a medical malpractice case. However, these cases can be complicated, as not all inpatient falls occur during treatment.
The medical malpractice attorneys at Gainsburgh, Benjamin, David, Meunier & Warshauer, L.L.C. have decades of experience representing clients across Louisiana and Mississippi for a wide array of medical malpractice claims. With our extensive knowledge of medical malpractice law, we have the resources necessary to secure the compensation you deserve.
