Victims Who Suffered Ankle Injuries from a Nursing Home Accident in Illinois Should Contact the Noll Law Office
Although nursing homes and long-term care facilities can be a safe place for elderly people when the home is no longer safe, there are times when nursing home residents are not given the appropriate level of care which leads to preventable injuries. Ankle injuries from a nursing home accident in Illinois are all too common. These injuries can lead to serious pain, permanent disability, and other poor outcomes that affect a resident’s life. Although not all ankle injuries are preventable, many of these injuries are avoidable and should be evaluated by an experienced nursing home abuse lawyer in Springfield.
That’s because many ankle injuries in a nursing home or long-term care facility are caused by the abuse, neglect, or negligence of a facility. At the Noll Law Office, their experienced nursing home abuse lawyers won’t let a defendant facility, staff member, or another party get away with harming a resident. These facilities charge high rates for the health and safety of residents, and when that does not happen victims have rights under Illinois law. To learn more about your rights and how the experienced legal team at the Noll Law Office can protect them, contact their law office for a FREE case evaluation today at (217) 414-8889.
Types of Injuries from Nursing Home Accidents
There are many different types of ankle injuries that can occur as a result of a nursing home accident. According to statistics, fractures are the most common type of injury, with nearly 675,000 ankle fractures occurring each year in the United States. However, that is not the only type of ankle injury that could occur in a facility.
Some of the most common types of ankle injuries include the following:
- Fibula fracture – The fibula is the bony lump on the outside of the ankle and can break when the ankle is twisted or landed in the wrong way. It can also be caused by physical impact to the leg such as being kicked or hit with an object during an incident of abuse.
- Bimalleolar fracture – This type of fracture is typically caused by a fall. This type of fracture causes a break of the fibula and the tibia on the inside of the ankle. Ligament damage is common with this type of ankle fracture. Patients who are high fall risks may commonly suffer this type of fracture.
- Trimalleolar fracture – This type of ankle fracture is due to a serious fall and typically causes several bones in the ankle to break. It is the most severe type of ankle fracture and happens in falls down stairs or off a high-set bed. This type of fracture can cause prolonged immobility, disability, and pain. The outcome for elderly victims with this type of fracture is often poor and there is permanent disability.
- High-degree ankle sprains – A third-degree type of ankle sprain is one which results in severe tearing of the ligaments in the ankle, often requiring surgery. Individuals with this type of severe ankle sprain will have 6 to 12 months of recovery, often longer for residents of a nursing home facility.
- Crushing injuries – a resident who has his or her foot or lower leg caught under a wheelchair, bed, table, in a vehicle, on a stretcher, or in another apparatus could suffer a crushing injury. All crushing injuries are medical emergencies that must be immediately treated to prevent uncontrollable bleeding, compartment syndrome, nerve damage, blood vessel damage, and other harm. Nursing home residents who suffer this type of personal injury need to call an experienced nursing home abuse lawyer in Springfield for help.
Causes of Ankle Injuries in Nursing Homes and Long-Term Care Facilities
Falls are the most common cause of ankle injuries in nursing homes. While nursing home staff may try to tell you that the fall was caused by your loved one’s poor mobility and that ankle injuries are common, the fact of the matter is that they have a duty to keep your loved one safe. Common causes of ankle injuries from a nursing home accident in Illinois include the following:
- Ignoring a patient’s call or request for assistance
- Ignoring risk for fall or elopement (failing to put safeguards in place such as appropriate supervision, bed alarms, non-slip socks, and similar protections)
- Neglect of basic care needs (toileting) leads to the resident attempting to get out of bed themselves
- Abuse, such as pushing a resident or striking a resident’s leg/ankle with great force
- Failure to eliminate tripping hazards (rolled-up rugs, cords, wet floors, poorly lit hallways, and other dangers)
- Falling objects
- Using a one-person lift when a two-person lift is required and dropping a patient
- Failure to apply the brakes when a resident is in their wheelchair, and
- Other causes of ankle injuries from a nursing home accident in Illinois.
Call the Noll Law Office if You or a Loved One Suffered Ankle Injuries from a Nursing Home Accident in Illinois
Ankle injuries are incredibly painful and result in a lack of mobility for many weeks or months, often causing depression, anxiety, and other trauma. The experienced nursing home abuse lawyers in Springfield at the Noll Law Office understand the frustration that residents and their families may feel after preventable ankle injuries from a nursing home accident in Illinois cause this type of disruption and damage. Although some facilities and insurance adjusters will acknowledge their errors, this is not always the case. To learn more about how you can get the compensation that you deserve, contact the experienced nursing home abuse lawyers in Springfield at the Noll Law Office.