by Paul MankinHow hospitals should familiarize patients with the environment to prevent slip and fall injuries?
As many people know, slip and fall cases can be quite a nasty detail. If it is on someone else’s property, the property owner may look for any way to disregard the event and not have to pay out. In terms of the victim, they may seek financial aid due to ensuing injuries they may have sustained through the slip and fall case that was seen as caused by the property owner.
This is especially true within a hospital setting, where accidents may be a bit more prone to occurring due to the nature of the visitors and patients that are often there. As such, it is imperative that hospitals and hospital staff look to properly safeguard themselves against these types of slips and falls, and work to prevent them from happening in the first place.
What is a common Slip and Fall Case?
Slip and fall incidents are fairly common within the workplaces. Whether you work within an office building, a warehouse, or in the open fields or marketplaces, danger is always present. Unintended accidents and unlooked after problems may result in you being subjected to dangerous situations.
Slip and fall incidents occur when these dangerous situations are not taken care of in an impromptu manner. If someone that either working or visiting the building happens to trip, slip, or become unbalanced and injured due to this hazard, it would be classified as a slip and fall case.
Difference in a Hospital Slip and Fall?
Although this can be said to be the same for any incident involving a slip and fall in any facility owned by someone, a slip and fall within a hospital or medical facility can be extremely dangerous. This is because most residents or visitors to hospitals are already vulnerable and somewhat fragile to begin with. The most prominent type of person that would be prone to a slip and fall would be an in-patient resident who needs to stay overnight at a hospital. They may be in for a short-term or long-term care process, and would be a bit more susceptible to a crack or split in the walking surface.
There is also a specific type of slip and fall case that is not seen in most regular workplaces. These are the slips and falls caused by a misdiagnosis or malpractice on a doctor’s part. These can be especially dangerous, as they are often done in a somewhat understood manner. If a patient or visiting patient is diagnosed improperly, and given many types of medicines that may cause drowsiness and unstable walking, while they are already unstable to begin with, this can lead to much higher rates of a potential slip and fall case.
A medical slip and fall can also occur when a patient has improper care facilities around them, depending on their level of co-dependency and symptoms. For instance, if a patient is misdiagnosed, and seen as more fit than they are, nursing staff may see it fit to not leave proper walking ambulators for the patient to use. This may result in a slip and fall case, which would be seen as the staff’s fault.
Steps to Prevent Slip and Fall injuries
Preventing a slip and fall incident can be a matter of life or death in some cases. As a slip and fall can lead to traumatic brain injuries and permanent fractures, it is important that hospitals properly warn and assist patients in navigating their way around the facility that may be their home for the next few days or weeks. Here are just some ways that hospital staff would be able to do this.
Thorough review of facility map
When a patient first is introduced to the facility, it is helpful that the patient be fully introduced to the rooms and building quadrants that they may be making their way around to. For this reason, having a floor map available for them can allow them to not get lost and end up in an unnecessary area. Walk the patients through the main facility rooms that they will need, such as restrooms and examination rooms. Let them know where there are uneven surfaces, and map out specific routes for them to take
Properly point out any immediate or short-term issues
If a mishap occurs, and a portion of the facility is broken or slightly damaged, notify all patients and visitors immediately. If some tiles have become unrooted from the floor, or there is a massive crack in the sidewalk, informing patients quickly will help them avoid that particular hazard while it is taken care of by hospital staff. A secondary measure would be to properly erect any physical signs necessary to deter patients from entering the hazard area.
Give a slight tour of the facility
If possible, it may be helpful to physically guide patients through the facility for a short period. This would entail having a staff member walk them through the pathways that they would need, such as the routes to the restrooms and exam rooms. Physically walking them would ensure that they have traversed that route, and not have to walk it blindly for the first time, as that would increase te risk of a possible slip and fall case.
by Paul MankinHospital Slip and Falls are “Never Events”
Hospital accidents can happen without warning, and in many different scenarios and situations. Having these situations befall you as a possible patient can lead to severe harm, especially if you are in a current frail state physically. These events can ride the fine line of a potential legal claim, with a simple accident extending your hospital stay.
One such type of hospital accident is known as a “Slip and Fall” event. These can be dangerous for multiple reasons, both physically and legally. With how easily they can occur, as well as how seemingly simple and unrelated they can be, you may find yourself victim to such an event any time you visit a hospital. If you are caught in a Slip and Fall event, it is important to know how to defend yourself and gain proper compensation for the accident.
What is a Slip and Fall?
So, what exactly is a Hospital Slip and Fall accident? True to the name, it is an accident that occurs when someone that is in the hospital slips within the hospital grounds, and injures themselves. This can be due to any number of reasons, from the floor being slick from just being mopped, to remnants of dropped hospital equipment by an unaware nurse. No matter the reason, it is still a slip and fall accident.
These can have serious effects depending on the situation. They can range from simple bruises and scratches, to full blown broken bones, neck and back injuries, or even brain injuries that may require extensive help and recovery.
Who can get Injured?
Although it may seem like people that are current patients at the hospital in question are the only ones that are able to be considered for a Slip and Fall case, that is not the case. The injured can be someone that is a current patient at the hospital in question, someone that is at the hospital visiting a patient, or even someone that is currently there for a business meeting or gathering.
This extends to anyone, young or old. There is no age limit on a possible case of a slip and fall injury.
Difference in Cases
Depending on what your status is with the hospital, different case types may arise. The status of which you are in at a hospital are positions such as visitor or patient. For instance, if you are simply a visitor at the hospital, and you were to happen to slip and fall, you would have a chance at claiming negligence by the hospital. For these to be given thought, the person injured by the fall would need to prove that the fall was indeed due to negligence on the side of the hospital. Some examples of negligence would be a spill in the hallway not being properly cleaned, or an unsecured piece of wiring that was not reported to staff.
A patient may also be eligible for a negligence claim if the slip and fall was due to the hospital’s problems and lack of attentiveness. However, there may also be the possibility of a malpractice claim if the fall was due to improper care by the medical staff at the hospital. Some examples of this scenario would be a misdiagnosis of a problem that leads to a lack of proper medical equipment being provided, or cases of multiple medications being improperly prescribed which, when taken at the same time, can lead to dizziness or unsteadiness on their feet. If the development can be linked to any improper medical diagnosis by medical staff, then there is potential for a malpractice lawsuit to be claimed.
Hospital Rebuttals and a “Never Event”
Even if you have a Slip and Fall accident at a hospital, however, there is the chance that your case may be labeled as a “Never Event”. Never Event Slip and Falls in a hospital come about when an accident occurs and there was sufficient evidence to suggest that a fall might occur. Most medical facilities will claim that there was sufficient evidence of prior knowledge that the falls were preventable and confirmed, such as adequate signs and proper warning labels in and around the hospital grounds.
Due to this, the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) of the United States tends to label patient falls within hospitals as “Never Events”, meaning that they should never happen if staff of the hospital follow all of the fall risk protocols and other such precautionary steps.
Why is this Important?
The importance of understanding the definition of a “Never Event” can be the deciding factor in whether or not a fall in a hospital results in a claim of negligence against the hospital, or if a malpractice claim against the hospital goes through. The clue is in the wording, as understanding the definition and situations that arise for a “Never Event” to be classified can help you figure out if your case would even have leverage and proper footing to be put through to a court room.
If you feel like your slip and fall at a hospital falls under a negligence or malpractice reason, make sure to reach out and contact an experienced lawyer to assist you in your case.