Nursing Care Facility Cited for Neglect After Resident Fall Results in Death

A nursing home resident had a history of trying to get out of bed of her own. Her mental and physical vulnerabilities made this a fall risk, and so caregivers were well aware of their need to act carefully to prevent her from falling and injuring herself. However, regardless of this, at some point the senior fell and hurt herself.

It was only later that staff members noticed that she had head injuries which were suggestive of some type of fall. She had a large bump on one side of her head and a smaller bump on the other side. A day after they were first noticed the resident complained about pain in her face. At that time staff members also noticed bruising around her neck. The following morning, the woman was not responsive to staff members.

The main issue was that it was only well after all of this was noticed by staff members that an actual registered nurse was informed of the situation. At that time the senior was sent to the hospital. The resident remained in the hospital for more than a week before she passed away from her injuries. The official death certificate lists the nursing home fall as the cause of her passing.

The number of falls for elderly people in Michigan is significant and the injuries from those accidents are often severe. The statistics were tailored by the Michigan Health and Hospital Association and the Michigan Department of Community Health.

• Between 1990 and 2002, the death rate due to elderly falls nearly doubled from 17.9 to 32.5 per 100,000 population.
• An average of 345 older Michigan residents died each year from a fall between 1999 and 2002. Given increasing fall death rates and a Michigan senior population that is growing, there may be a substantial increase in the number of these deaths in the absence of prevention.
• The rate of fatal falls increased dramatically with age. The death rate approximately doubled from one five-year age group to the next.
• Rates were 25% greater for men compared to woman; whites had twice the rate of Blacks.

Legal Rights After A Michigan Fall Injury

Individuals who suffer injuries due to a fall do have legal rights. The person, or most typically a concerned family member, should contact our office immediately after a fall accident to investigate the cause of the accident. These injuries are often not well-documented and it is necessary to do a full investigation, especially because the person does not always have the ability to remember or describe the incident. An injured person may be entitled to monetary compensation for the injuries suffered in a fall if the fall took place in a hospital and the hospital failed to take proper preventative fall measures.

Contact a Michigan Medical Malpractice Attorney

Call us now at (800) 606-1717 to speak with one of our experienced Michigan medical malpractice lawyers about your case. Our lawyers will start working on your case immediately, gathering all the evidence necessary to prove and win your case. We will represent you under our No Fee Promise.  This means, that you will pay nothing unless we obtain a settlement for you.