You trusted a nursing home to keep your loved one safe, but now they’re in the hospital with a broken hip after a fall. Was it just an accident, or was it preventable?

Research indicates that nearly half of nursing home residents experience at least one fall annually. Many of these incidents result in serious injuries, extended hospital stays, and permanent loss of mobility.

Not every fall is an accident. When staff fail to provide proper care, it may be negligence. For example, a resident with mobility issues might slip on a wet bathroom floor after staff failed to respond to a call light for over an hour.

If your loved one falls in a Tennessee nursing home, you may be wondering whether the staff or facility did something wrong.

Learn when a fall qualifies as neglect, who may be responsible, and how a skilled Chattanooga nursing home abuse lawyer can help protect your loved one’s rights and hold the appropriate parties accountable.

Common Causes of Falls in Tennessee Nursing Homes

Falls can happen for many reasons in Tennessee care facilities, such as:

  • Lack of Supervision: Residents who are disoriented, physically weak, or prone to wandering may fall if no one monitors them regularly.
  • Wet or Slippery Floors: Spills, leaks, or poorly maintained surfaces create unsafe walking conditions that often lead to falls.
  • Poor Lighting: Dim hallways and dark bathrooms make it more difficult for residents to navigate safely, thereby increasing the risk of falls.
  • Unstable Furniture or Broken Equipment: Damaged wheelchairs, walkers, or handrails can cause a resident to lose balance and fall.
  • Missing or Inadequate Mobility Aids: Without the proper mobility support, such as canes, walkers, or transfer devices, residents may struggle to move safely.
  • Unanswered Call Lights or Delayed Help: When help doesn’t arrive after a resident calls for assistance, they may try to move on their own and end up falling.

Tennessee law requires nursing homes to provide safe conditions for each resident, including steps to prevent falls. Outdated or ignored care plans are a common sign of neglect, and when a resident is harmed, multiple parties may be at fault.

Who Can Be Held Responsible for a Nursing Home Fall?

Liability for a nursing home fall depends on what caused the fall and who failed to act appropriately. If your loved one was injured, your family may be able to hold the following parties accountable:

  • The Nursing Home Facility: The nursing home facility may be held responsible if it fails to maintain a safe environment, overlooks signs of resident neglect, or improperly trains its staff.
  • Individual Staff Members: Nurses, aides, and other employees might be at fault if they disregarded care plans, safety procedures, or direct requests for assistance.
  • Administrators and Management: Supervisors who ignore safety issues or permit unsafe practices to persist play a direct role in creating and reinforcing patterns of neglect.
  • Third-Party Contractors: Outside agencies hired for maintenance, staffing, or rehab may share liability. For example, a physical therapy provider who failed to assist during transfers could be responsible for a resident’s fall.

Injured residents and their families can pursue a claim when a fall is caused by substandard care. A successful claim can help cover your loved one’s medical bills, pain and suffering, and the costs of long-term recovery.

Why It’s Important to Investigate Falls Quickly

After a serious fall in a nursing home, the facts can become harder to verify over time. Crucial details, such as witness accounts, call light records, and safety conditions, can be lost or altered if they are not documented promptly.

At Gary Massey Injury Lawyers, we act quickly to protect a resident’s rights and preserve critical evidence.

Our team can:

  • Request medical records, incident reports, and surveillance footage
  • Interview witnesses and staff while memories are still fresh
  • Review the care plan and whether it was followed
  • Identify any safety violations or missing documentation
  • Work with experts to assess what went wrong and why

A prompt investigation helps clarify what led to the fall and provides the evidence needed to pursue compensation for medical care, pain, and long-term support.

Protect Your Loved One’s Rights After a Fall

No one should suffer a life-altering injury because of nursing home neglect. Falls that result from poor care aren’t inevitable; they’re preventable. When they occur, the individuals responsible should be held accountable for the harm they have caused.

If your loved one falls in a Tennessee nursing home and you suspect negligence, our legal team can help. We represent families across Tennessee who want to protect their relative’s well-being and advocate for the care they deserve.

Contact us today for a free, confidential consultation. We can take immediate action to investigate the circumstances and help you understand your legal options.