Palm Beach County Nursing Home Hip Fracture Lawyer

If you or someone you love has suffered a hip fracture while under the care of a nursing home, contact a Palm Beach County nursing home hip fracture lawyer who will work closely with you, medical experts and insurance companies to help ensure you receive the compensation you deserve for your pain and suffering. A compassionate nursing home abuse attorney could work towards a positive outcome for you.

Facts About Hip Fractures

Hip fractures are a major concern for individuals in nursing homes, and according to the Journal of the American Medical Association, there are around 300,000 incidents of broken hips amongst those over the age of 65.

Not only are hip fractures naturally painful, but, according to the same report by the Journal of the American Medical Association between twenty and thirty percent of those who suffer a broken hip will die within 12 months of the injury.

Falls are the leading cause of hip injuries and fractures and while some falls are entirely accidental, nursing homes need to be on the alert for residents who are likely to fall and who would, therefore, be more susceptible to sustaining a fractured hip.

Causes of Hip Fractures and Signs of Abuse

As stated above the most significant cause of hip fractures is falls. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that an average 100-bed nursing home will report between 100 and 200 falls a year and that around 1,800 nursing home residents will die each year because of falls. Some of the contributing factors to nursing home residents falling include:

• Wet floors
• Unsecured handrails
• Inadequate lighting
• Beds not set at a proper height
• Improper monitoring of patients

Nursing homes have a duty to provide residents with a safe environment, and when conditions such as those mentioned above are not rectified in a timely manner it can lead to a resident falling and fracturing their hip. While some hip fractures are unavoidable accidents, it is important for a family to explore the cause of a hip fracture to determine if their loved one has been the victim of nursing home abuse or neglect.

Nursing Home Liability and Hip Fractures

Nursing homes in Palm Beach County are required by both state and federal laws to provide residents with a safe environment, which should be free from hazards that may cause a fall and subsequently cause a hip injury.

Other risk factors for hip fractures include decreased bone mineral density, reduced level of activity, and chronic medication use.

In addition, women account for nearly eighty percent of all hip fractures and particular affect women over the age of 80 who have been shown to be ten times more likely to sustain a hip fracture as compared to women between the ages of 60 and 69.

Compensation for Injuries

Nursing homes are required to make assessments of their residents to determine their risk of falling, which as stated above is the leading cause of hip injury and fracture.

In addition, nursing homes need to train their staff how to properly care for and manage residents who are at risk of falling and how to properly care for and treat those who have suffered a hip fracture.

While Florida’s nursing homes are generally well equipped to handle residents with limited mobility, there are consistent reports of nursing home residents falling and fracturing their hips and other bones as a result of nursing home negligence.

In these cases a Palm Beach County nursing home hip fracture lawyer can help injured residents and their families recover compensation for:

• Medical bills and expenses
• Prescription medication
• Home therapy
• Rehabilitative therapy such as physical therapy
• Pain and suffering
• Death benefits

Nursing homes need to be held accountable for their actions and in cases where a nursing home staff member has directly contributed to a resident falling and fracturing a hip, an experienced Palm Beach County nursing home hip fracture attorney may be able to help families recover punitive damages as a means of punishing nursing home staff for their egregious behavior.

Contacting a Palm Beach County Nursing Home Hip Fracture Attorney

If you or a loved one has fractured a hip while in a nursing home, contact a Palm Beach County nursing home hip fracture lawyer today. Make sure those who are responsible are held accountable for their neglect.