Hospitals provide essential health care services to local communities. Although they provide essential services, the owners and operators of hospitals are subject to premises liability.
If you are injured by an accident that occurs inside a hospital or on its grounds, that hospital could be liable for damages. Hospitals are not exempt from premises liability and are accountable for injuries or property damage that might occur.
Common Slip and Fall Accidents in Hospitals
Hospitals often are very busy, have many workers, and lots of patients with visitors. That adds up to a lot of potential chaos occurring on hospital grounds that could lead to a slip and fall accident or another injury accident. Whenever negligence is a part of the cause, a hospital could be held liable.
The most common causes of slip and fall accidents in hospitals are:
- Slippery floors
- Uneven floor covering
- Poor lighting
- Electrical wiring and tubes
- Stairs and handrails
Fortunately, a hospital is the most convenient place to suffer an injury-causing slip and fall accident. The cost to treat your injuries could be very high. However, a premises liability claim could cover those costs and other damages.
Possible Medical Malpractice Liability
A slip and fall injury might affect a patient or it might affect a visitor inside a hospital. When a visitor is injured, a premises liability case might be in order. But a patient who suffers from a slip and fall injury while obtaining care might have a medical malpractice claim.
For example, some patients have difficulty walking or even getting out of bed. If they need to use the restroom, they have to hail a nurse for help getting out of bed and into the restroom.
The usual way to hail a nurse is to press a button that is supposed to signal hospital staff for help. If no one responds, the patient might suffer a slip and fall while trying to perform a normal bodily function.
Medical malpractice could be claimed in such an event. It also could be claimed if the patient slips and falls while being transferred from an operating table, bed, or seat into a wheelchair or a gurney. There are many ways in which a patient might suffer a slip and fall injury that leads to a medical malpractice claim.
Potential Third-Party Liability
Many hospitals hire contractors to provide janitorial services. Many also hire contractors to provide general types of non-medical care, such as cleaning rooms.
If an employee of a hospital contractor causes a patient or a visitor to suffer a slip and fall injury, third-party liability might apply. Such an injury would not be medical malpractice. However, it could create liability for a contractor’s employer and premises liability for the hospital.
An experienced slip and fall lawyer can help to determine if third-party claims might arise from a slip and fall injury inside a hospital.
How to Prove Slip and Fall Claims
Whether filing premises liability claims against a hospital or a third party, you would need to show that a dangerous condition existed, such as a wet floor. You would have to demonstrate that the staff reasonably should have known about the dangerous condition but neglected to correct it.
You also would need to show that the dangerous condition caused you to suffer harm. An injury diagnosis and medical treatment would show that harm occurred.
In addition, you would need to prove that damages occurred. Medical costs from treatment and any lost wages are examples of proof of damages.
Mount Laurel Slip and Fall Lawyers at the Law Office of David S. Rochman Help Clients Who Fell and Were Injured at a Hospital
If you have been injured in a slip and fall accident at a hospital, reach out to the Mount Laurel slip and fall lawyers at the Law Office of David S. Rochman. Our experienced and knowledgeable legal team will investigate your case thoroughly and fight to get you the compensation for which you are entitled. Call us at 856-751-2345 or contact us online today to schedule a free consultation. Located in Mount Laurel, New Jersey, we serve clients throughout Mount Laurel and surrounding areas.