What to do if my mother was in an assisted living facility and fell and was injured?

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What to do if my mother was in an assisted living facility and fell and was injured?

She was coming from dinner and tripped over another residents walker in the dining room. The facility was aware that she was a fall hazard. She ended up breaking her hip. Does the facility have any responsibility?

Asked on April 2, 2013 under Personal Injury, New York

Answers:

S.L,. Member, California Bar / FreeAdvice Contributing Attorney

Answered 11 years ago | Contributor

The assisted living facility is liable for your mother's injury based on premises liability.

When your mother completes her medical treatment for the broken hip and is released by the doctor or is declared by the doctor to be permanent and stationary, which means having reached a point in her medical treatment where no further improvement is anticipated, obtain her medical bills and medical reports.  Your mother's personal injury claim filed with the assisted living facility's insurance carrier should include these items.  Compensation for the medical bills is straight reimbursement.   The medical reports will document the nature and extent of your mother's injury and will be used to determine compensation for pain and suffering, which is an amount in addition to the medical bills.  If the case is settled with the assisted living facility's insurance carrier, NO lawsuit is filed.  If your mother is dissatisfied with settlement offers from the assisted living facilty's insurance carrier, she should reject the settlement offers and file a lawsuit for premises liability against the assisted living facility.  If the case is NOT settled with the assisted living facility's insurance carrier, your mother's lawsuit must be filed prior to the expiration of the applicable statute of limitations or she will lose her rights forever in the matter.


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