Falls in Hospital
Negligence – Have you fallen at hospital or out of a hospital bed?
If you are at high falls risk and have fallen whilst an in-patient at hospital or out of a hospital bed, you may be entitled to compensation.
Patients should be falls risk assessed on admission to hospital and be monitored regularly thereafter during their stay to ensure that they remain safe and don’t suffer injury. The elderly, frail and vulnerable are obvious examples of patients with a greater risk of falling. Unfortunately, some injuries affecting mobility (e.g. fractured hip) can often be untreatable in fragile patients and resultant immobility can lead to a rapid decline in overall health.
Often, following surgery under general anaesthetic, it is quite usual for the sedative effects of anaesthesia or strong painkillers to remain in the patient’s system, and for further sedative/pain relief to be administered whilst recuperating post-surgery. Patients can have high temperatures, fever, suffer with delirium and hallucinations, feel groggy, ‘fuzzy’ or ‘out of it’, and can be disorientated. At this point they are more vulnerable to falling or falling out of their hospital bed. Such incidents should never occur.
Common falls injuries include head injuries, facial injuries and fractures, dislocations or fracture to wrists, arms, legs and hips. If you have fallen out at hospital or out of a hospital bed, you may be entitled to compensation.
We have extensive experience and knowledge in this field and can give you the specialist support that you need for a successful outcome.
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