Nursing Home Broken Bones Injury Attorney

Elderly adults are already at higher risk of falling and sustaining injuries. However, when they suffer from broken bones, their chances of falling and further injuring themselves increase. Furthermore, broken bones and other fall injuries can also limit mobility, which can force the injured person to remain bedridden, thereby reducing their quality of life.

Unfortunately, broken bones are a common occurrence in nursing home facilities. While a broken bone injury could result from an accident, it could also be a sign of abuse or neglect. If your loved one has sustained a broken bone injury, it’s important to investigate the matter to determine the cause.

At Crossen Law Firm, our personal injury attorneys can help you look into the matter, and if abuse or neglect is suspected, we can help you file a claim. We understand how stressful and even scary these situations can be and are here to help and advocate for your rights and the rights of your loved one.

If you suspect your loved one is the victim of broken bones due to nursing home abuse, contact a skilled nursing home abuse lawyer right away at (317) 401-8626.

Causes of Nursing Home Broken Bones

While a broken bone injury might not be that big of a deal to anyone else, for nursing home residents, it can be much more serious and significantly reduce the patient’s quality of life. As for what causes broken bones in nursing homes, many factors can contribute to a resident sustaining a fracture, which can include:

• Osteoporosis
• Mobility issues (difficulty walking)
• Medications that cause dizziness or impair balance
• Muscle weakness

In some cases, a resident can simply fall and hurt themselves without the cause being anyone’s fault. However, neglect and patient abuse in nursing homes are common occurrences and can be the reason a resident gets hurt.

If a nursing home is understaffed or poorly supervised, for example, it can lead to residents being neglected and inadequately cared for. Staff members can also willfully choose to abuse residents and use their positions of power to take advantage.

Negligence, whether intentional or not, is often the cause of nursing home incidents that lead to injuries like broken bones. Some examples of negligence in nursing homes can include:

• Failure to institute fall risk procedures
• Failure to properly train staff
• Failure to hire enough staff or overworking staff
• Failure to implement an adequate care plan
• Failure to provide food and drink that promotes bone and overall health
• Failure to adequately supervise and check in on residents
• Lifting patients in and out of bed forcefully or in an improper manner
• Failing to provide residents access to their assistive devices, such as walkers or wheelchairs
• Failing to secure residents in wheelchairs properly
• Failing to keep resident rooms free of clutter so they can easily move about
• Not providing a resident with assistance when it is evident that they need help
• Willfully handling a resident forcefully/physically abusing them

Common Types of Broken Bones Sustained in Nursing Homes

There are over 200 bones in the human body, and it is possible to break any number of them. However, some broken bone injuries are more common in elderly residents in nursing homes, which can include:

• Hip fractures
• Skull fractures
• Arm fractures
• Wrist and ankle fractures
• Leg fractures
• Pelvic fractures
• Vertebrae fractures

Hip fractures are by far the most common broken bone injuries that occur in elderly adults. This is because elderly patients are at a much higher risk of falling and seriously injuring themselves, which can happen in nursing homes due to inadequate care and supervision.

Nursing home patients can also suffer serious hip injuries or other broken bones due to abuse. For example, if a staff member pushes a patient, they could fall and injure themselves. Patients could also sustain arm, hand, and wrist fractures if they are handled roughly by staff, such as a staff member roughly grabbing and pulling them out of bed.

How Can Broken Bones Be Prevented in Nursing Homes?

Caretakers in nursing homes have a responsibility to care for the residents adequately. As such, they play an important role in protecting residents and preventing situations that could lead to injuries like broken bones.

When a new resident is admitted to a nursing home, the staff should thoroughly evaluate them and assess their situation to determine the best care plan to ensure the best quality of life possible. This includes assessing if a patient is a fall risk and taking extra precautions to ensure that the resident is properly supervised and has the support needed to move around the nursing home safely.

Additional measures that can be taken to protect the well-being of residents and ensure they do not injure themselves include:

• Providing nutritional food and drink that supports bone health
• Making sure residents who are at risk of falling are properly secured when in bed or when in a wheelchair
• Ensuring residents have the assistance devices needed to move around safely, such as walkers, canes, and wheelchairs
• Installing bed rails, handrails, and non-slip surfaces and mats
• Ensuring spaces are well-lit and clutter-free
• Repairing uneven surfaces
• Keeping floors dry and cleaning wet surfaces to prevent slip and fall injuries
• Handling patients with care
• Assisting residents when they need to get in and out of bed or move around

Should You Be Concerned if Your Loved One Sustained a Broken Bone Injury?

If your loved one suffers a broken bone injury in a nursing home, you should be on alert, but it does not necessarily mean there is cause for concern. Understandably, you want your loved one to be well-cared for and to live as long and healthy a life as possible. However, a broken bone injury does not immediately signify that they are being abused.

That said, it’s still wise to look into the situation, which involves speaking with the director or administrator of the nursing home to determine what happened and how the injury is being handled. You can ask questions along the lines of how the injury happened, if your loved one was alone when they were hurt, and what the treatment plan is.

You should also obtain a copy of the incident report and a detailed medical report. If the nursing home is not compliant or you suspect negligence, contact a nursing home abuse attorney immediately. A lawyer can help investigate to determine what the next course of action should be, such as reporting the matter to the authorities and filing an official claim against the nursing home.

Aside from the broken bone injury, other signs that could indicate your loved one is being abused or neglected include:

• The appearance of bruises
• Other injuries, potentially ones that have gone unreported
• Malnutrition and dehydration
• Poor personal hygiene
• Dirty bedding, dirty clothes, and/or a messy room
• Unusual changes in behavior
• Being more quiet or withdrawn than usual
• Anxious or aggressive behavior
• Showing fear around certain staff members
• Bed sores

Compensation for Bone Injuries Sustained in a Nursing Home

If the cause of the broken bones is negligence, you can file a claim or lawsuit against the nursing home. When you file a claim, you can recover compensation for the damages your loved one has suffered. You can also ensure the right party is held accountable and that your loved one starts getting the care that they need.

Compensation for losses and damages suffered can include:

• Medical expenses for the cost of treatment
• Ongoing medical needs
• Medications and assistance devices
• Physical therapy or rehab
• Physical pain and suffering
• Emotional distress
• Reduced quality of life
• Permanent impairment
• Punitive damages

How a Nursing Home Abuse and Neglect Lawyer Can Help

If you suspect negligence is the cause of the broken bone injury, you will still have to provide evidence to prove your claim and win your case. This is why it’s important to work with an experienced nursing home abuse attorney who has handled these kinds of cases.

A lawyer can help by:

• Investigating the incident and what caused the injury
• Filing a civil claim and advocating for your rights and the rights of your loved one
• Alerting the nursing home of pending litigation
• Handling communications with the nursing home
• Obtaining evidence to build a strong case
• Handling any and all legal responsibilities necessary to pursue financial compensation on your loved one’s behalf

Crossen Law Firm: Indianapolis Nursing Home Broken Bone Injury Attorneys

Discussing your case with an experienced Indiana nursing home abuse lawyer can help you during this trying time. At Crossen Law Firm, our team will fight tirelessly on your behalf and the behalf of your loved one to help you get what you are owed. You will only owe us something if we win your case.

Make the right call. Call Crossen Law Firm at (317) 401-8626 or contact our firm online.