You're at a hospital either because you're seeking care for yourself, or visiting a loved one. You fall, and you're injured. What do you do? It's a hospital, can you pursue the hospital the same way you can a restaurant or a store? Are there certain laws or statutes that protect the hospital from liability lawsuits? What are your options?
In this FAQ we're going to explore what you can do when you slip and fall while inside a hospital or medical facility. If you're currently dealing with a slip-and-fall accident, and you need either legal guidance or help, our Personal Injury Lawyers in St. Louis can help. Our team is dedicated to fighting for the rights and recoveries of our clients, and we never settle for anything less than %100 recovery. We don't charge any fees for our consultations, and we never charge any attorneys fees unless we win your claim. Call our team at 314-542-2222 or 618-272-2222.
Can I sue a hospital if I slipped and fell?
Personal Injury Lawyer St. Louis
In many cases, a slip and fall accident happens in a hospital or medical facility when an injured patient is trying to get around, and has difficulty moving. Either they have to go to the bathroom, get food, or need to speak with a nurse, and they have difficulty moving on their own and they slip and fall. Because of the fall, they are further injured. What can be done? Should they have stayed in bed and waited? What if they did wait, and they signaled the nurse but still no one came to assist?
Well, hospitals attend and treat people who have problems walking many, many times, whether someone has had a surgery, whether they’re on drugs, painkillers that make it harder to ambulate, whether they have a loss of coordination problem, whether the problem is in their legs or other parts of their body. There are several different methods, techniques, and guidelines that hospitals and medical facilities are required to follow when determining the fall risks of patients. These methods and guidelines are used to make sure individuals who have difficulty moving around on their own are given the support or help that they need to be able to either get to the bathroom, get food, or move around.
They have a specific chart in everybody’s medical record who has that challenge of ambulating or getting around. They have a fall risk, and they have assessment device to try to do it. Have they had three or more falls in the past? Are they on medication that affects their dexterity? Have they had surgery? Do they have a leg injury? Are they confused? Do they have a danger of wandering? Are they weak? And then those fall risk assessments are made, and then the hospital is required to do that, and then the hospital is required to take certain protocols. They’ll put a band on your wrist to say what your fall risk is and they’ll color-code it. They’ll give you a walker. They’ll give you a wheelchair. They’ll give you a call light so that you can get assistance ambulating to the restroom. They’ll put up bed rails. If someone is non-compliant, there are other ways to handle that too, and the doctors and nurses should be vigilant of that. When a hospital doesn't properly follow these guidelines, they can be held accountable for their lack of action and non-adherence to these guidelines.
But what do you do if you're not a patient in the hospital, and you still fall and an accident occurs? Can you sue the hospital as if it were any other business? In the vast majority of cases, you can still pursue a hospital if a slip and fall occurred within their premises and negligence led to the accident. Hospitals, just like restaurants or stores are required to make sure that their premises is safe to travel through. If there is a spill or hazard on the floor, it needs to be cleaned up. If there is a dangerous condition in a stairway, or faulty flooring in a section of the hospital and people have to pass through those areas, the hospital is still required to make sure that it is a safe area of passage.
Slip and Fall inside a Hospital
Personal Injury Lawyer St. Louis
People who have potential personal injury claims often don't take them on because they believe that they either can't afford a lawyer, or they can't afford the court costs or fees that can from a legal battle. With our Personal Injury Law Firm in St. Louis, you'll never pay anything unless we win your personal injury claim. We fight hard for the rights and recoveries of our clients, and we never settle for anything less than the full recovery that they are owed. If your family needs a dedicated and aggressive personal injury lawyer to fight for your rights, we can help you. Call our team at 314-542-2222 or 618-272-2222.