Falling in a hospital can have consequences that affect your life, and you may want to seek out the help of an attorney for making your case.

What to Do When a Fall Happens in a Hospital

Many injury attorneys handle cases that involve falls that happen in a hospital on a regular basis. Even though a hospital is a place where safety is a priority, falls can have lasting consequences. Depending on the patient’s circumstances, a slip and fall attorney may treat the fall as malpractice or neglect.

When May a Case Be Malpractice?

When a medical injury is treated as malpractice, the fall must have happened because of the care received from a physician. Many falls have their roots in medications or combinations of medications that made the patient unsteady. Doctors sometimes fail to diagnose a condition that greatly increases the risk of falling. Some falls happen due to a hospital’s failure to take anti-fall measures.

When May a Case Be Negligence?

Negligence can occur in a hospital setting when a patient suffers a fall due to hospital neglect unrelated to their medical condition. Examples of negligence may include a spill on a restroom floor that is not cleaned up or an object left out where a patient can easily trip over it. In many cases, patients in hospitals have a slow reaction time due to their illness or injury that makes spills or obstacles more of a problem.

Why Attorney Advice Matters

In cases that involve fall injuries, it is important for people seeking legal action to know which type of case is better suited to their circumstances. Some of these cases get more complicated than a lot of people realize, which makes seeking legal advice all the more important. Another consideration that makes a difference in malpractice versus negligence is the existence of compensation caps that some states have for malpractice cases. An attorney may be able to make it easier for patients to sort through the various considerations.