Florida Elderly Slip and Fall Lawyers

While falls are a leading cause of serious injuries for people of all ages, older adults are especially vulnerable to these accidents. Their injuries are more serious. Their recoveries take significantly longer. The long-lasting consequences may be much more significant.

In Florida, which has a large population of people over age 65, slips and falls are a particular concern, especially at nursing homes. These accidents may require the victims to undergo extensive medical treatment as well as physical and emotional therapy in order to recover. This can be especially burdensome when the victim is living on a fixed or retirement income.

Florida Elderly Slip and Fall Victims Face Risks of Injuries

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says that each year, 1 in 4 adults in the US over the age of 65 suffers a slip and fall accident. In Florida alone, more than 1 million older adults experienced slipping, tripping, or falling just within 2020.

One of every five fall accidents leads to serious injury, with hip fractures and traumatic brain injuries (TBI) among the most common injuries resulting from falls. Elderly fall victims are at risk of suffering several types of injuries. They may suffer:

• Lacerations (cuts)
• Hip fractures
• Head trauma (concussion or more severe form of traumatic brain injury, or TBI)
• Neck injuries
• Back injuries
• Bruises
• Strains and sprains
• Fractures of the spin, forearm, leg, ankle, pelvis, upper arm and hand.

Even if an elderly slip and fall victim suffers no physical injury, they may develop a sense of fear as a result of their experience. It may lead to them lose mobility and suffer extreme stress.

Sadly, deaths caused by falls among elderly victims have increased in the past decade. The Florida Department of Health logged 4,178 fatalities from unintentional falls in 2021, nearly double the count from 2011, which was only 2,293. According to the CDC, falls are the number one cause of injury deaths among US adults age 65 and up.

Property Owner Liability for Elderly Slip and Fall Accidents

Some elderly people suffer from poor balance, low coordination, and shakiness. Their physical conditions may make them more prone to falls. But other elderly fall victims suffer no such complicating factors. Their falls are caused by external factors beyond their control. Many may slip and fall because a property owner failed to remedy a hazardous condition that the owner should have fixed.

Stairway slip and fall accidents may happen in homes, apartment buildings, hospitals, nursing home facilities, businesses, stores, government buildings and on public property. 

Florida Nursing Homes and the Risk of Slip and Fall Accidents

In nursing homes, slip and fall accidents among the elderly happen all too often. In fact, the National Floor Safety Institute says that as many as 60 percent of nursing home residents suffer a slip and fall injury in an average year. This figure may be underreported, as only less than half of older fall victims tell their doctor, according to the CDC.

Possible causes for a slip or a fall in a nursing home include:

• Wet or slippery floors
• Poor lighting
• Incorrect bed height
• Stairway defects such as broken handrails, uneven steps or clutter
• Medication errors that cause the patient to lose balance
• Failure to provide proper equipment to assist with getting around such as a cane, walker or wheelchair
• Failure to provide adequate assistance with walking by nursing home staff.

Some property owners fail to address safety hazards. If a hazard causes a person to fall, the property owner may be legally liable on a premises liability claim. The property owner may be responsible for covering the victim’s medical expenses and for compensating the victim for their pain and suffering.

A property owner may also be held responsible for a family’s loss if a slip and fall accident causes a victim to die. Family members may receive damages from the responsible property owner if the property owner’s negligence contributed to the victim’s death. 

Contact a Florida Elderly Slip and Fall Accident Lawyer Today

If you are a senior citizen who suffered injuries in a stairway slip and fall accident, you should contact a Florida elderly slip and fall lawyer for help. Likewise, if you lost an elderly parent in a slip and fall accident, you should speak to an attorney. An attorney can help determine if you are entitled to compensation.

Philip DeBerard, Injury Attorney, is a Florida elderly slip and fall attorney. He represents accident victims throughout South Florida and have offices in Stuart, Port St. Lucie, Vero Beach, Okeechobee, Palm Beach Gardens and West Palm Beach.

To schedule a free consultation, call us today toll free or fill out our online contact form for more information.