Falls are one of the most common and dangerous emergencies inside Florida nursing homes, and many of them should never happen. When a resident falls, it often leads to broken bones, head trauma, or a permanent loss of independence. Families are frequently told the fall was “unavoidable.” In reality, most nursing home falls occur because a facility did not provide the level of supervision, safety, or medical attention that Florida law requires. When a fall could have been prevented with basic care, the nursing home may be legally responsible.
Older adults face higher risks of falling because of balance problems, cognitive decline, and the side effects of certain medications. A single fall can trigger a rapid decline in a resident’s physical and emotional health. Too often, families only learn the truth about what happened after long-term damage has already been done.
Florida nursing homes must evaluate every resident to determine whether they are at risk of falling. A facility becomes liable when it fails to take reasonable steps to protect residents. This includes failing to provide assistance while walking, ignoring call bells, leaving hallways cluttered, or failing to use alarms and monitoring systems for high-risk individuals. When these mistakes occur, the fall is not an accident—it is negligence.
Nursing homes may be liable when they fail to:
- Create or follow a fall-prevention care plan
- Supervise residents with mobility or cognitive issues
- Provide working bed alarms, rails, and mobility aids
- Keep floors clean, dry, and clutter-free
- Respond promptly to call lights
- Monitor residents known to wander
Determining what really happened requires an immediate and thorough investigation. Families rarely receive the full story from the nursing home staff, which is why legal intervention is often necessary. Attorneys can obtain evidence that families cannot access on their own, including staffing records, video footage, and maintenance logs. Medical experts can also evaluate whether the fall could have been prevented with proper care.
Key evidence in a nursing home fall case includes:
- Medical charts and injury documentation
- Surveillance footage showing the fall or unsafe conditions
- Testimony from staff and other residents
- Medication and mobility assessments
- Prior safety violations or inspection records
When a nursing home is responsible, victims may recover damages for medical bills, rehabilitation, pain and suffering, emotional trauma, and long-term disability. In the most serious cases, families may also pursue wrongful death compensation.
If your loved one suffered a preventable fall, you do not have to accept vague explanations or excuses. You have the right to know what happened and to hold the facility accountable. The attorneys at Jimenez Mazzitelli Mordes investigate nursing home fall cases across Miami and throughout Florida.
For help protecting your loved one, call 305-548-8750 or reach us through our Miami contact page.