Hospital Slip-And-Fall Accidents
Usually when you go to a hospital you are expecting to get better, however, sometimes a trip to the hospital can result in new injuries or problems that you wouldn’t have had otherwise. With the busy hustle and bustle of hospitals and the abundance of obstacles, debris, and fluids, slip-and-fall accidents can be somewhat inevitable. While many people write these injuries off, they can have serious and even fatal consequences. The elderly are particularly vulnerable to serious injuries, including broken or fractured hips. However, anyone who suffers a slip-and-fall accident is at risk of suffering a traumatic brain injury and a number of other serious ailments. If you have suffered an injury due to a slip or fall that occurred in a hospital, you may be wondering what legal options are available to you. As our Alpharetta personal injury attorneys explain below, whether or not you can sue to recover for your harm depends largely on the circumstances of your accident.
When You Can Sue for a Hospital Slip-and-Fall Accident
In order to bring a successful personal injury claim for a slip-and-fall accident, it is not enough just to show that you were injured. You must also be able to demonstrate that another party was negligent in causing your harm. In the case of a hospital accident, it will be relevant whether you were a patient who fell while being assisted by a medical professional, or if you fell on your own. This distinction is important because if you were dropped or fell due to improper support or inattention on the part of your doctor or nurse, your injury could constitute medical malpractice. In that case, you would have to show that your medical provider acted negligently. This can be established by showing that a similarly qualified medical professional in the same situation would not have made the same choice or mistake. For instance, a nurse may have helped you into a wheelchair without first putting the chair’s brake on, causing it to roll out from under you while you were sitting and resulting in a fall. Because the nurse did not follow the industry practice in this case, they may be liable for the harm that you suffered as a result. On the other hand, if you were at a hospital and slipped and the accident did not involve a medical professional, premises liability rules will apply. In order to succeed in a premises liability case you will have to show that the hospital staff either knew or should have known of the slipping hazard and failed to warn you about the hazard or remedy it. A situation where this might occur is where there is a large spill or someone gets sick on the floor and the hospital staff does not act promptly by cleaning it up or putting a “wet floor” sign to warn of the hazard. If you then slip and fall, the hospital can likely be held accountable for causing your harm.
Talk to an Atlanta Personal Injury Lawyer
If you have been injured due to slipping or falling at a hospital in an accident that was not your fault, the experienced personal injury attorneys at Hawkins Spizman Trial Lawyers will fight to get you the compensation that you are entitled to. Serving all of Georgia, including Atlanta, Dunwoody, Alpharetta, Cobb County, Fulton County, Gwinnett County, Johns Creek and Sandy Springs, Hawkins Spizman Trial Lawyers are ready to help. Contact us today to schedule a free consultation.
