Nassau County Nursing Home Hip Fracture Lawyer

Older adults who suffer a hip fracture are faced with the possibility of long-term consequences or death because of the injury. This alone is hard for most families to deal with because it instantly raises concern about the elderly adult’s mortality. To find out that there is a potential that the injury was caused by abuse or neglect in a nursing home environment, where we presume our loved one is safe, is devastating.

If you are concerned that a loved one has suffered a hip fracture because of a problem within the nursing home they are living in, you have a right to know what occurred. A Nassau County nursing home hip fracture lawyer could assist you in determining the cause of the injury and may be able to help you obtain financial compensation. Our nursing home abuse attorneys could help you seek justice.

Why Hip Fractures Are Always Severe in Older Adults

If a young person falls, they may hurt their hips, but it will not typically break. A hip fracture in young adults is usually the result of significant trauma or impact.

As we age, we lose bone density and muscle mass. Therefore, a hip fracture can occur with a fall from any height. To further worsen the injury, the only effective treatment option involves surgery, which also comes with risks.

For older adults, it is a trauma that they may never fully recover from. They may lose:

• Function
• Independence
• Balance, which increases the risk of another fall
• Ability to ambulate without assistance

In some cases, the elderly patient may also lose their lives, because many start to suffer from other illnesses, including depression over their loss of mobility and independence.

Warning Signs of a Hip Fracture in Older Adults

Older adults with hip fractures may not admit to a fall, especially when experiencing abuse or neglect, as most avoid acknowledging abuse or limited mobility.

Some signs of a hip fracture that families should be aware of include a loved one experiencing:

• Severe pain in the hip or groin
• An inability to get up or walk after a known fall
• Swelling or bruising around their hips
• Being unable to put their full weight on one or both legs
• A pronounced limp due to one leg being shorter
• Discomfort from a leg that turns outward at an odd angle

If family members notice these symptoms, they should immediately seek medical attention for the nursing home resident and investigate what caused the hip fracture with a Long Island attorney.

Common Causes of Hip Fractures in Nursing Homes

Sometimes, hip fractures in a nursing home can be caused by abuse or neglect by a staff member. However, in most cases, a hip fracture in this environment stems from an entirely preventable circumstance.

Many seniors have difficulty walking and maintaining balance without injury. All types of unnecessary hazards may contribute to a fall. Nursing home staff members must do their part to reduce these risks and protect the elderly individuals in their care. Any failure to do so can be seen as nursing home negligence.

Examples of nursing home negligence include:

• Not providing adequate monitoring and assisting the patients who need it
• Failing to provide sufficient lighting in hallways, bathrooms, etc.
• Failing to ensure wheelchairs or bed rails are properly locked when in use
• Neglecting to clean spills promptly and doing their best to help residents avoid those spills

When nursing homes or staff members neglect their duty to keep residents safe from harm, they are negligent. This alone is a reason to investigate how others in the nursing home are being treated and maybe prevent injuries to others. A lawyer in Nassau County could determine the cause of a hip fracture in a nursing home and take legal action against those responsible.

Duffy & Duffy Attorneys Could Help Establish Liability for a Nursing Home Hip Fracture

One of the hardest things about establishing nursing home liability is that to prove it, we must also establish the facility had a duty of care to the patient, they breached their duty, and that breach alone caused harm to the patient.

To complicate matters further, a claim must also be started within three years of the date of neglect or injury in New York. The only way to do this is often through expert testimony, witness interviews, and a thorough look at the nursing home and its staff. In most situations, the victim or their family must consult with a Nassau County nursing home hip fracture lawyer for this. We offer free consultations to help you get started. Contact us to begin your claim.