The Hidden Epidemic: Ohio Nursing Home Fall Injuries and How To Hold Those At Fault Accountable
Falls are among the leading causes of potentially life-threatening personal injuries among Ohio nursing home residents. Negligence on the part of employees is often to blame.
When a nursing home doesn’t take reasonable precautions, those at fault can be held accountable. Our experienced Sandusky nursing home fall lawyers explain common reasons falls occur and your rights in seeking compensation.
Why Sandusky Nursing Home Falls Happen
The Ohio Department of Aging warns that older adult falls have reached epidemic proportions. One of the most likely places for them to happen is in nursing homes and assisted living facilities. Unfortunately, reckless and negligent practices by staff, medical providers, and administrators are often to blame.
Among the most common causes of nursing home falls in Sandusky include:
- Inadequate staffing levels leave high-risk residents without proper supervision or assistance.
- Failure to assess a resident’s fall risk and create an individualized prevention plan as required under the Ohio Code.
- Slippery floors, dim lighting, improperly fitted wheelchairs, or beds set at unsafe heights.
- Medication management errors, including the use of sedatives, anti-anxiety drugs, or other medications that increase fall risk, without appropriate safeguards.
- Not following a resident’s existing care plan, ignoring documented fall history, or skipping scheduled monitoring.
- Inadequate staff training in safe patient handling, fall prevention techniques, and emergency response.
Under Chapter 3721 of the Ohio Revised Code, nursing home residents have the right to a safe living environment. When nursing homes and their employees put residents at risk, they can be held accountable.
When You Can File an Ohio Nursing Home Fall Liability Claim
Just because a fall occurred doesn’t necessarily mean the nursing home was at fault or that the facility was negligent. What matters is whether the fall was foreseeable and whether the nursing home took reasonable steps to prevent it.
Circumstances that can support a nursing home fall liability claim in Ohio include:
- A resident with a documented history of falls did not receive an updated prevention plan or closer supervision.
- Staff failed to respond to call lights or left a mobility-impaired resident unattended.
- Multiple falls involving the same resident signal a pattern of neglect.
- Medical records contradict what the staff told your family about the circumstances of the fall.
- Facility inspection records show prior citations for fall prevention deficiencies.
Ohio courts treat these cases as medical claims, which means they are subject to strict filing deadlines and require an Affidavit of Merit from a qualified medical expert. To protect your rights, get legal help right away.
Request a Consultation With Our Experienced Sandusky Nursing Home Abuse Lawyers
When a nursing home’s failures led to a serious fall, older adults and their families have the right to demand accountability. At Murray & Murray, our Ohio nursing home fall lawyers investigate what happened, identify those at fault, and help you get compensation for medical bills, pain and suffering, and other losses.
Our office serves clients throughout Sandusky, Ohio, and the surrounding areas. Reach out today to request a consultation.
Sources:
aging.ohio.gov/care-and-living/health-and-safety/fall-prevention/facts-about-falls-in-ohio-1
codes.ohio.gov/ohio-administrative-code/chapter-3701-17
codes.ohio.gov/ohio-revised-code/chapter-3721