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Falls in nursing homes are a serious and often preventable threat to elderly residents. While some falls may occur naturally due to aging-related mobility issues, many are the direct result of negligence—including understaffing, unsafe facility conditions, and failure to provide proper supervision.
For seniors, a fall is not just a minor accident. It can result in catastrophic injuries, including hip fractures, brain injuries, and internal bleeding, which significantly reduce quality of life and can even be fatal. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC):
Nursing homes are legally required to assess fall risks, implement safety measures, and properly supervise residents to prevent these devastating injuries. When they fail to do so, families have the right to hold them accountable.
At The Elder Justice Firm, we represent victims of nursing home falls and fractures, helping families pursue justice and financial compensation. Our California nursing home falls lawyers have recovered over $200 million in verdicts and settlements for elder abuse victims. If your loved one suffered a fall-related injury in a nursing home, we are ready to fight for you.
Falls in nursing homes rarely happen in isolation—they are often the result of systemic failures in care. Nursing home residents are entirely dependent on staff for mobility assistance, supervision, and fall prevention measures. When those protections fail, falls occur.
Some of the most common causes of nursing home falls include:
When nursing homes fail to follow fall prevention protocols, they can be held liable for elder neglect and abuse under California law.
Falls in elderly individuals often lead to life-altering or fatal injuries. Some of the most severe fall-related injuries include:
At The Elder Justice Firm, our lawyers have successfully litigated against negligent nursing homes and assisted living facilities that failed to prevent falls.
In one of our most significant fall-related cases, our client, a resident at a senior living facility, suffered multiple broken bones in a preventable fall caused by a dangerous trash disposal setup. The facility was a converted hospital, and instead of providing safe trash disposal methods, they required seniors to throw garbage over a ledge from a loading dock.
Our client fell onto a concrete floor between two dumpsters, sustaining severe fractures and other injuries. We filed a lawsuit against the facility, arguing that the design of the trash disposal area was inherently dangerous and failed to accommodate elderly residents.
To build the strongest case possible, we assembled a team of experts, including:
Just weeks before trial, the defense caved and agreed to pay their entire $1.5 million insurance policy limit. The settlement was life-changing for our client, ensuring he had the resources for medical treatment, rehabilitation, and financial security.
Our team takes a comprehensive approach to investigating fall-related injuries, building cases with compelling evidence to hold facilities accountable.
We gather:
Families have the right to pursue compensation if a nursing home’s negligence led to a preventable fall. Potential damages may include:
California’s elder abuse laws provide additional legal protections for victims of nursing home neglect, allowing for enhanced damages in cases involving reckless or intentional misconduct.
At The Elder Justice Firm, we have a proven track record of successfully litigating elder neglect and nursing home abuse cases. Over their careers, our attorneys have secured over $200 million in compensation for victims and their families.
We provide:
If your loved one suffered a serious fall, fracture, or head injury in a nursing home or skilled nursing facility, contact our California nursing home falls lawyer to discuss your legal options. We are committed to holding negligent facilities accountable and ensuring justice for victims and their families.
Not every fall is automatically considered neglect, but many are preventable with proper care and supervision. Nursing homes are required to assess fall risks and implement safety measures. If a fall occurs due to understaffing, lack of assistance, hazardous conditions, or improper medication management, the facility may be held responsible.
Nursing homes should conduct fall risk assessments for every resident, provide mobility aids such as walkers or canes, ensure staff assistance with transfers and movement, eliminate environmental hazards like wet floors or poor lighting, and monitor residents who are at high risk for falling. If a facility fails to implement these safety measures, they may be considered negligent.
Falls can lead to severe injuries, including hip fractures, traumatic brain injuries, spinal cord damage, internal bleeding, and broken bones. Many elderly individuals never fully recover from fall-related injuries, leading to a decline in overall health and increased mortality rates.
Signs of negligence include a history of repeated falls, delays in medical treatment, unexplained injuries, poor supervision, or hazardous facility conditions. If a resident was left unattended, given the wrong medication, or denied access to mobility aids, these factors may have contributed to the fall. An experienced elder abuse attorney can review the circumstances and determine if a legal claim is warranted.
Yes. If a nursing home failed to implement fall prevention measures, ignored safety hazards, or did not properly supervise a resident, they can be sued for negligence. California law allows victims and their families to seek compensation for medical expenses, pain and suffering, and in some cases, punitive damages.
Compensation may cover medical bills, rehabilitation costs, pain and suffering, and wrongful death damages if the fall resulted in death. If the nursing home’s actions were particularly reckless, additional punitive damages may be available to punish the facility for its misconduct.
Seek immediate medical attention, request a copy of the facility’s incident report, document the conditions that led to the fall, and take photos of any visible injuries or hazardous conditions. If you suspect negligence, report the incident to the California Department of Public Health and consult an attorney to explore your legal options.
Yes. Some nursing homes overmedicate residents to keep them sedated, increasing the risk of falls. If staff failed to properly manage medications, ignored dangerous drug interactions, or did not monitor side effects that contributed to instability or dizziness, they may be liable for the resulting injury.
In California, the statute of limitations for elder neglect or personal injury claims is generally two years from the date of the injury. If the fall resulted in death, the deadline for a wrongful death claim is also two years. However, certain circumstances, such as fraud or concealment of neglect, may extend the filing deadline. In some cases, a fall can be considered medical malpractice. In those instances, the statute of limitations is one year from the date of injury. For these reasons, it is important to consult an attorney as soon as possible.
An attorney can investigate the cause of the fall, obtain medical records and facility reports, consult with expert witnesses, and build a strong case for compensation. Nursing homes often deny responsibility or try to shift blame onto the resident, making legal representation critical in proving negligence and securing justice for victims.
If you suspect your loved one’s fall was caused by nursing home neglect, contact us to discuss your legal options. We are here to help you hold negligent facilities accountable.
We have won multi-million-dollar cases against public and private facilities on behalf of our clients. As a result, many institutions and their insurance companies opt to settle with us, based on our attorneys’ reputations.
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