Nursing Home Slip and Fall Accidents: Understanding Premises Liability

Nursing home slip and fall accidents may lead to unfortunate damages and serious injuries in some cases. A number of factors may contribute to accidents of this nature, and the cases can become notably complicated. If you or a loved one has suffered injuries in a slip and fall accident, speak with an injury attorney in Arvada, Colorado for legal counsel.

A personal injury lawyer will be able to:

• look over the details of the accident and help decide which legal avenues are best;
• complete premises liability interrogatories;
• collect facts and evidence and;
• build a strong, fair case.

Statistics Regarding Nursing Home Falls

Even with numerous safety protocols in place at nursing homes, slip and fall accidents may still occur. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that:

• nursing homes with 100 beds typically report 100 – 200 falls per year;
• annually, 1,800 older adults suffer fatal injuries from fall-related injuries; and
• victims who survive slip and fall accidents may suffer debilitating injuries such as hip fractures and head injuries.

Additionally, between 50 percent and 75 percent of nursing home residents experience a fall each year. This is twice the rate at which elderly populations in the community fall according to the information shared by the CDC. What’s more, the patients often fall more than once with an average of 2.6 falls per person annually.

Understanding Premises Liability Basics

Some of these cases fall under what’s known as premises liability. Injury attorneys in Arvada, Colorado help nursing home slip and fall accident victims file premises liability claims when the victim’s injuries are a result of the landowner’s or property manager’s (or other responsible party’s) negligence such as allowing hazardous conditions on the premises that lead to the fall.

If you or a loved one has been injured on nursing home premises, whether as a resident of the facility or a visitor, you must prove that the nursing home was negligent and that its actions caused your injury. Older individuals may be more prone to falls, of course, so not every case of a fall will be attributed to negligence. Seek legal advice from an injury attorney in Arvada, Colorado to go over your claim to determine if you may have a claim of negligence.

Filing a Premises Liability Claim

When you and your lawyer file a claim against a nursing home for a slip and fall, the facility’s attorneys may attempt to get your case dismissed or diminish its value using various means. They may use premises liability interrogatories to try to accomplish this.

Premises liability interrogatories are written detailed questionnaires that you’ll be required to fill out. How you answer these questions are of the utmost importance in your case because what you write can be used against you in court. Go over the questions with your attorney before responding.

Your attorney can counsel you regarding any premises liability interrogatories you have to fill out, as well as handle any other questions or concerns you have along the way. Contact D.J. Banovitz, an injury attorney in Arvada, Colorado, at 303-300-5060 for help after a nursing home slip and fall accident.