If you or a loved one had a fall while in a hospital, a care home or a clinic, you could be entitled to claim compensation for your injuries, the pain and distress experienced and any subsequent treatment, physiotherapy and rehabilitation required.
Falls in hospitals or other healthcare environments could include:
- Falls from hospital beds
- Slips / trips from items in a room, corridor or other area
- Slips on a wet floor
- Falls from trolleys
- Falls in bathrooms
- Falls out of a window
- Falls from a toilet or commode
- Being dropped / falling out of a wheelchair
- Being dropped by ambulance staff
As well as serious injuries falls could:
- Prolong a patient’s stay in hospital
- Affect the chances of recovery from the original condition
- Result in trauma and psychological injury
- Reduce earnings / income of patient
Medical professionals, NHS Trusts and private medical facilities have a duty to provide a certain standard of care to patients, which includes creating a safe environment for medical care. If mistakes were made in this environment, which resulted in a patient falling and sustaining injuries, compensation may be available.
Contact our medical and hospital negligence solicitors today to discuss your case.
Devonshires Claims’ solicitors have over 20 years’ experience in supporting patients with hospital negligence claims. We work hard to secure patients the justice and compensation they deserve.
We provide a free case evaluation and a ‘No Win No Fee’ agreement. This means that you will not be charged any upfront legal costs in order to start your compensation claim and if your claim is not successful, you will not incur any costs*.
Contact us today on 0333 900 8787, email admin@devonshiresclaims.co.uk or complete our online form.
The situations in which a patient could fall in hospital
Most falls in hospital are avoidable and may result from:
- Negligent care by nursing and other hospital staff
- Failure to monitor repairs carried out by contractors e.g. cables lying on the floor
- Failure to carry out a risk assessment for individual patients eg. vulnerable patients such as the elderly, dementia suffers and those with mobility issues will need more support
- Failure of the hospital to implement a falls prevention policy
- Failure of the hospital to assess health and safety standards
- Failure of cleaning staff to dry wet floors or to display warning signs
- Failure of hospital managers to replace damaged areas eg. torn carpet, broken window locks, broken bed frames
Risk assessments and duty of care to prevent falls
Hospitals and other healthcare centres should carry out risk assessments for individual patients and regularly throughout the building, in order to prevent accidents from occurring.
Vulnerable patients, who are at a greater risk of falling, require more monitoring and support by nurses and other medical professionals including:
- The need for one-to-one care
- Not being left unattended, especially in circumstances where they may fall eg. going to the bathroom
- Making sure that beds have rails to prevent patients from falling out of a bed
- Responding to patients’ calls for help in a timely manner so to prevent patients from trying to move themselves.
Nursing and other hospital staff should ensure that risk assessments reflect the age, medical condition and medication provided to a patient i.e. the side-effects of a medication.
Specific risk factors include:
- History of falls
- Cognitive impairment eg. brain injury, dementia, strokes
- Medical conditions affecting mobility eg fractures, Parkinsons
- Medications where side-effects could impair balance or cause dizziness
- Heart or lung disease patients who may experience physical weakness or dizziness
- Larger / obese patients requiring more physical support when lifting or moving to a wheelchair
- Visual impairment
- Patients with addictions eg drug / alcohol
- Diabetic patients and patients who may be affected by fall in blood sugar (low glucose levels)
- Diabetic patients requiring specialist footwear
How much compensation could a patient receive?
If you or family member has sustained injuries from a fall – in a hospital or other care environment- you could claim compensation for:
- For your physical injuries
- Pain and suffering
- Further treatment and rehabilitation required, including private medical treatment
- Home adaptations eg. wheelchair ramps
- Psychological support and treatment
- Loss of earning and income
- Long-term care
The compensation would reflect your injuries, loss of earnings and the treatment and care required.
Contact our claims experts today
Falling in a hospital or care environment could have profound consequences on the wellbeing of a patient. Serious injuries could include fractures to the hip, spine, skull, leg or other parts of the body and internal injuries such as damage to the brain or organs.
Injured patients may need additional treatment in hospital as well as physiotherapy, rehabilitation, long-term care and psychological support to recover from trauma.
If you or a family member was injured due to a fall in hospital, care home or other medical environment, contact our experts today to discuss the compensation you could receive.
Devonshires Claims’ medical negligence solicitors are members of the Action Against Medical Accidents (AvMA) and the Association of Personal Injury Lawyers (APIL).
Our hospital negligence service provides:
- A free no-obligation case evaluation
- Advice on the probability of success for a hospital negligence and falls claim and the amount of compensation you could potentially obtain
- Friendly, compassionate and experienced claims experts
- A No Win No Fee agreement i.e. you will not incur any costs if your claim is not successful*.
- Access to a network of medical experts and specialist barristers
Our experts work hard to secure victims of medical negligence the justice and compensation they deserve.
To start your negligence claim contact our experienced solicitors today. Call us on 0333 900 8787, email admin@devonshiresclaims.co.uk or complete our online contact form.
Client Stories
Falls in Hospital and Subsequent Hip Fracture: Five Figure Compensation Awarded
Summary
Clinical Negligence claim following numerous falls whilst an inpatient at Mid & South Essex NHS Foundation Trust resulting in an avoidable hip fracture and further injury and damage to the hip repair.
Settlement
£24,500 for the Representatives of the Estate of the deceased.
£2 million compensation for negligent hospital treatment resulting in air embolism and stroke
Summary
Claim following removal of a central line with the patient sat in a chair. This led to an air embolism and stroke which caused a somatoform pain disorder and permanent disability. This is one of the NHS’s 10 “never events”.
Settlement
£2 million made up of compensation for the injury, past and future loss of earnings, care and equipment, treatment and the additional cost of suitable housing.
Delayed Diagnosis of an Infection after a Kidney Transplant Results in Sepsis, PTSD and Nerve Damage
Summary
The claimant brought a claim for clinical negligence following delayed diagnosis of a drain infection after a kidney transplant. This resulted in systemic sepsis, PTSD and permanent nerve damage in her leg which resulted in payments for care and loss of earnings.
Settlement
£300,000 for claimant who suffered a severe drain infection following a kidney transplant.
