Albuquerque, New Mexico Hospital Slip and Fall Lawyers

According to the Centers for Disease Control, fall injuries cost Americans an estimated $31 billion each year. The costs go to treating traumatic brain injury, broken bones, broken hips, surgeries, and other long term care that slip and fall injury victims may require. Slip and fall injuries can result in traumatic brain injury, hip fractures, broken bones, back and neck injuries, tendon strains, post-traumatic stress disorder, and a host of other injuries that can impact a person for weeks, months, or even years. If you or a loved one has been hurt in a slip and fall injury, the hospital slip and fall attorneys in Albuquerque, New Mexico at The Law Office of Brian K. Branch, PC may be able to help you seek damages for the medical costs, lost wages, and pain and suffering damages associated with your injury. Individuals can collect damages for their slips, trips, and falls if they can show that the owner of a premises was liable for the accident. There are many locations where slips, trips, and falls can take place, but one of the most dangerous places where individuals can be injured in a slip, trip, or fall is the hospital. Hospitals treat a vulnerable population which may have mobility limitations. Patients who enter the hospital may be sick and may need added guidance to get around. Hospitals have a duty to take precautions against slips, trips, and falls on their premises.

Hospital Slip and Falls in Albuquerque, New Mexico

There are many ways a person can suffer a slip and fall in a hospital. Hospital staff can spill liquids on the floor or liquids can be spilled during a medical emergency. If these liquids are not cleaned in a timely manner, they can pose a slip hazard to visitors, workers, and patients. Hospitals also are equipped with a range of medical equipment that contains cords and tubes. If these cords and tubes are not properly managed, they can pose trip hazards for visitors, staff, and patients. Hospitals may turn down their lights to keep sick patients comfortable. However, if workers need to use similar spaces, they may need adequate lighting to move about the area. Uneven floor surfaces, bunched rugs, unmarked steps, and other hazards can pose risks to individuals walking through a hospital. If you or a loved one was injured in a hospital slip and fall, you may have important rights under the law. If you are a hospital employee, for example, you may be entitled to seek damages through worker’s compensation. If you were a patient or visitor, you may be able to seek damages and compensation through a lawsuit. The Law Office of Brian K. Branch, PC are Albuquerque, New Mexico hospital slip and fall lawyers who may be able to help you if you’ve been injured in a hospital.

Proving Fault in a Hospital Trip and Fall Case

If you’ve been injured in a trip and fall in a hospital, you and your family may be wondering whether you are entitled to receive compensation under the law. In order to seek damages, you must first show that the hospital was at fault for your trip and fall accidents. In what ways could the hospital be at fault?

  • Hospital failed to clean spills. There are simple measures that hospitals can take to prevent slip and fall injuries. Promptly cleaning spills is just one way. Does the hospital have adequate staff to clean floors and spills? Do staff have proper signage to warn patrons about slip risks? If a hospital cut corners or cut its cleaning staff, you may have a hospital slip and fall case.
  • Hospital staff failed to manage equipment. Hospitals have equipment that can clutter floors and pose a slip and fall risk. Are hospital staff trained to properly manage equipment? Were tubes and wires left in the path of visitors or patients? If you or a loved one tripped and fell on hospital equipment, you may have a claim under the law.
  • Dangerous and hazardous conditions. Were floors uneven or unrepaired? Were there broken railings on a stairwell? Did medical waste lead to a slip and fall. Hospitals have a responsibility to keep their premises free of hazardous conditions for staff, visitors, and patients. In areas where there may be a trip and fall or slip and fall risk, hospitals must provide proper warnings to staff, visitors, and patients.

Individuals have a duty to take reasonable precautions to prevent their own falls and slips. However, hospitals treat sick, elderly, and otherwise compromised patients who may suffer from mobility difficulties. Hospitals have an additional duty to prevent accidents for this vulnerable population that they serve. For example, bathrooms should be equipped with handrails and other safety features to help those with mobility challenges. Hallways and stairways should be marked for potential hazards. If you or a loved one was injured in a hospital, the Albuquerque New Mexico hospital trip and fall lawyers at The Law Office of Brian K. Branch, PC in may be able to help you. Our firm can review the factors leading to your fall and fight to help you seek the recovery you may deserve under the law.

Protect Your Rights

Slip and fall and trip and fall injuries can impact the lives of victims and their families. If you or a loved one has suffered from a trip and fall or slip and fall injury, know your rights. You may be entitled to receive compensation to cover your medical costs, lost wages, and pain and suffering damages. The Law Office of Brian K. Branch, PC are hospital slip and fall lawyers in Albuquerque, New Mexico who fight for the rights of patients and their families. Slip and fall injuries include:

  • Broken bones
  • Traumatic brain injury
  • Hip fractures
  • Torn tendons
  • Back injuries
  • Neck injuries
  • And more

You may only have a limited amount of time to seek damages for your injuries and losses. Contact the qualified hospital trip and fall lawyers in Albuquerque, New Mexico at The Law Office of Brian K. Branch, PC today. You are not alone.