Medical Malpractice

Who is Responsible for a fall in a Hospital?

Hospital falls are all too common these days. These falls can be devastating to the patient. Hospital falls often add significant time to the hospital stay, can interfere with the rehabilitation of the condition the patient is hospitalized for, and it can be financially crippling. Many times the patient will feel responsible for the fall because the patient does not understand the rules and policies that are meant to prevent falls.

Fall Risk

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Fall Risk 〰️

The hospital staff is 100% responsible for preventing falls. This is one of a nurse’s and CNA’s (Certified Nursing Assistant) primary functions. This is because patient falls resulting in serious injury (including “any fracture”) are “sentinel events.” These sentinel events are events that should not happen because they are entirely preventable in a hospital setting.

The Joint Commission noted that sentinel events are usually caused by various factors including, but not limited to, “communication failures, lack of adherence to protocols or safety practices, inadequate staff orientation, supervision, staffing levels, and a lack of leadership.” 

Sentinel events are also called “never events” by the National Quality Forum. The National Quality Forum notes that “patient death or serious injury associated with a fall while being cared for in a healthcare setting” should “never” happen. This is because hospital falls are entirely preventable. 

The Leapfrog Group is an organization that maintains data regarding patient safety in a particular hospital and also provides resources and tools. Numerous Hostpitals are members of The Leapfrog Group. The Leapfrog Group affirms, “Some mistakes in the hospital are so egregious that they are referred to as never events.” As a result of these events, Leapfrog requested hospitals to commit to nine actions if a “never event” occurred: 1) Apologize to the patient, 2) Report the event, 3) Perform a root cause analysis, 4) Waive Costs directly related to the event, 5) Provide a copy of the hospital’s policy on never events upon request, 6) Involve patients in the root cause analysis when willing to participate, and three additional actions.

Additionally, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) noted “never events” are “serious and costly errors in the provision of healthcare services and should never happen.” Medicare will not issue payment for treatment associated with a “never event.” In short, in-patient hospital falls only happen if a hospital is negligent, so Medicare is not going to pay for the hospital’s mistake and the patient should not have to pay either.

This may seem harsh, but it is easy to prevent these serious injuries. Hospitals have fall risk assessment tools to determine who is a high fall risk and who will need additional assistance. These are routinely given and are easy to do. Additionally, things like “bed alarms” and “bed rails” are intended to ensure hospital staff is alerted when a fall-risk patient leaves the bed. Hospital staff is usually required to designate the patient as a fall risk and identify them by using a wristband or writing it on the whiteboard in the hospital room. Hospital staff is typically required to stand near a high-risk fall patient and be ready to assist them if the patient is walking (ambulating). Hospital staff is typically required to have the door open and be in a position to assist the patient off the toilet when the patient is a high fall risk. Hospital staff must communicate effectively to ensure the patient understands they are a fall risk. These are just a few things most hospitals can easily do to prevent falls. That is why these “Sentenial Events” should not occur.

If you or someone you know has been injured in a Hospital Fall, call Ross Law at 503.224.1658 to discuss your legal options. Jeremiah Ross has held Hospitals responsible throughout the State of Oregon for failing to do their job to prevent patients from falling. Please remember that this blog article is for informational purposes only and policies, laws, and guidelines can change. Do not rely solely on this post to determine who is responsible for a hospital fall.

2019 Was An Incredible Year for Ross Law's Clients!

2019 was an amazing year for Ross Law and our Clients! Ross Law worked tirelessly to assist Oregonians to obtain maximum compensation for their Personal Injury cases, wrongful death cases, crime victim cases, insurance disputes, and consumer cases.

Below is a rundown on some of the results from 2019:

  • $2,225,000.00 Jury Trial Verdict where Jeremiah Ross co-counseled a two-week medical malpractice & Patient Safety case with another attorney against one of Oregon’s top medical malpractice defense law firms. Click HERE for more information on that case.

  • Significant Settlement in Case Against DHS and others in a case where our young client was abused and neglected while she was in the legal custody of the Department of Human Services. Click HERE for more information on the lawsuit against Oregon’s DHS & CPS.

  • Confidential Settlement in Wrongful Death Case against a mental health provider whose negligence resulted in a schizophrenic’s suicide;

  • Confidential Settlement received in a civil domestic violence case against an abuser. Ross Law represented a young survivor of domestic violence and filed a lawsuit against the abuser after he was convicted of his crimes in criminal court. As a crime victim’s lawyer, Ross Law fought tirelessly to cut through very complex legal issues to ensure the victim received compensation to regain the power and control of her life.

  • $100,000.00 settlement for Ross Law’s client who was backed over by a vehicle while she was urinating behind the vehicle due to her intoxication. The bad driver’s insurance company denied any liability until Jeremiah Ross litigated the matter.

  • Insurance Benefits obtained for a client who the insurer denied personal injury protection benefits to a cyclist who was thrown into a car at a stop sign. The stopped vehicle’s insurer denied benefits based on its interpretation of the law that the cyclist had to be “struck by” the vehicle. The judge ordered the Insurance Company to pay the cyclist $15,000.00 in denied insurance benefits and the cyclist’s costs and attorney fees. Click HERE for more information on that case.

  • Insurance Benefits obtained for a client who was wrongfully denied Personal Injury Protection benefits from USAA and Auto Injury Solutions. The judge ordered USAA to pay the outstanding benefits and our client’s costs and attorney fees. Click HERE for more information on that case.

  • Numerous favorable Settlements in Lemon Law and Auto Dealership Fraud Cases. These settlements included cash that was paid directly to our clients by the dealership, buy-backs of vehicles, unwinding car deals, and the dealership or auto manufacturers paid Ross Law’s consumer client’s costs and attorney fees.

There were many other amazing results for or clients! Please remember that results for all clients will vary. Each case is different. Some cases are better than others. If you, or someone you know, needs a personal injury lawyer, wrongful death lawyer, crime victim’s lawyer, or consumer lawyer please call Ross Law at 503.224.1658.

Jeremiah Ross Selected as a SuperLawyer! Again....

2019 was an incredible year for Ross Law and Jeremiah Ross! Ross Law fought tirelessly for our clients in personal injury cases, insurance disputes, wrongful death cases, medical malpractice cases, lemon law cases, auto dealership fraud cases, and crime victim cases. Ross law achieved incredible results for our clients.

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Peers selected Jeremiah Ross as a 2020 SuperLawyer for personal injury general plaintiff’s practice. This is the fifth year Jeremiah Ross has been recognized by SuperLawyers.

  • 2020 Oregon Super Lawyers

  • 2019 Oregon Super Lawyers

  • 2018 Oregon Super Lawyers

  • 2017 Oregon Rising Stars

  • 2016 Oregon Rising Stars

We look forward to continuing with the amazing success Ross Law has had and are thankful to be rated as a SuperLawyer!

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Please remember the results may vary for each client. Each case is different. If you or someone you know needs to speak with a Personal Injury Lawyer, Wrongful Death Lawyer, Crime Victim Lawyer, or Consumer Lawyer, please call 503.224.1658 to speak with Ross Law. This post may be considered Attorney Advertising.

$2,225,000.00 Medical Malpractice Jury Trial Verdict!!!!

We have been busy at Ross Law LLC. Jeremiah Ross recently teamed up with another lawyer to take on one of Oregon’s most well known medical malpractice defense law firms. Our client was a woman that fell in the hospital after knee surgery. The fall caused a mild Traumatic Brain Injury (mTBI). We alleged the hospital was negligent because they were unable to prevent the fall, and could have done so relatively easily.

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The Hospital brought on a team of experienced lawyers and refused to accept responsibility for the fall. In fact, they blamed our client for the fall and then claimed that our client was malingering and not really injured.

After 2 weeks of trial, the 12 person Multnomah County Jury awarded our client $1,4500,00.00 for lost wages and future medical expenses and $755,000.00 in non-economic damages for the hell the injury has put her through. It was a fantastic result for a client who was truly an amazing person.

If you, or someone you know, were injured by a fall at a Hospital, call Jeremiah Ross at 503.224.1658 for your free phone case evaluation. Please note that case results vary and this was not a client that originated with Ross Law PDX, and Jeremiah Ross was part of a two person team of lawyers representing the client at the Jury Trial.

Ross Law Has Been Busy Fighting on Behalf of Eastern Oregonians

We are often asked if we represent clients that live outside of the Portland Metro Region. The answer is yes! In the last year Ross Law PDX represented Eastern Oregonians in the following cases:

  1. Jeremiah Ross represented a man that was brutally assaulted while in the custody of law enforcement officer in Milton-Freewater Oregon. Ross Law filed a lawsuit in Federal Court alleging 28 USC 1983 claims for the violations of the victim’s civil rights and state law claims, including negligence. The case resolved after filing the lawsuit.

  2. Jeremiah Ross represented a client from an Eastern Oregon town in a patient safety case. The client went to a medical provider who negligently performed a procedure. The provider’s negligence fractured the client’s ribs. Ross Law attempted to settle the malpractice claim with the provider’s insurer. The chiropractor’s insurer failed to make a reasonable offer. Ross Law filed a medical malpractice lawsuit on behalf of the man against the medical provider. The insurance company then promptly settled the lawsuit for virtually every penny that was asked for, plus costs and attorney fees.

  3. Jeremiah Ross has represented multiple people who have been ripped off by car dealers in Pendleton, Hermiston, and Ontario, Oregon.

  4. Jeremiah Ross and another law firm represented a truck driver who was severely injured at a loading dock near Nyssa, Oregon . The truck driver was walking through the loading area when a fork-lift violently struck him and dragged him for several feet. The crash caused serious injuries to the man’s chest, low back, and knees, pelvis, feet and shoulders. We alleged the forklift driver wasn’t properly trained, supervised, and was not following the law. The matter was initially set for trial, but the parties chose to proceed in private arbitration after the Court re-scheduled the initial trial date. The arbitrator awarded our client a significant amount of money.

Ross Law is also currently litigating a wrongful death case in Umatilla County. If you are an Eastern Oregonian who needs legal representation in a personal injury case, wrongful death case, civil rights case, or a auto fraud or lemon law case, call Jeremiah Ross at 503.224.1659. Please call Ross Law PDX for your free case evaluation. If we are unable to assist you with your legal matter we are happy to attempt to find someone that is able to. Please remember this blog post could be considered ATTORNEY ADVERTISING.

Oregon's Most Dangerous Hosptials

Patient Safety is a huge issue in today's medical world. As many as 440,000 people die every year from preventable errors in hospitals.  When hospitals put profits over safety patients may get seriously injured or die.  A recent survey by Leapfrog Hospital Grades has been published and reported on by Oregonlive.  The survey gives grades designating Oregon's safest and most dangerous hospitals . Leapfrog measured the hospital's overall performance in keeping patients safe from preventable harm and medical errors," (Oregonlive) The results are surprising and worrysome.

The good news is many of Oregon's hospitals received an "A" rating.  Here are some of Oregon's safest hospitals that received the highest "A rating":

  • Portland Adventist (Portland)
  • Asante Three Rivers Medical Center (Grants Pass)
  • CHI Mercy Health Mercy Medical Center (Roseburg)
  • Kaiser Sunnyside Medical Center (Clackamas)
  • Kaiser Westside Medical Center (Hillsboro)
  • Legacy Meridian Park (Tualatin)
  • Providence Milwaukie Hospital (Milwaukie)
  • Providence Portland Medical Center (Portland)
  • Providence Willamette Falls Medical Center (Oregon City)
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Surprisingly some of Oregon's larger more well-known hospitals received the lower "C" score.  These scores are much lower than some of the lesser known rural hospitals.  Some other well-known hospitals received an average "B" rating. For example:

  • Legacy Good Samaritan Medical Center (Portland) received a "B"
  • Legacy Mt. Hood Medical (Gresham) received a "B"
  • McKenzie-Willamette Medical Center (Springfield) received a "B"
  • Legacy Emanual Medical Center (Portland) received a "C"
  • Oregon Health and Science University (Portland) received a "C" (Click for report)
  • Providence Saint Vincent Medical Center (Portland) received a "C"

The bottom line is that if you have an opportunity to choose your medical care you should consider patient safety in your decision on where you will receive treatment.  Hopefully, the hospitals that received the lower ratings will strive to get better.  Only time will tell. 

If you or someone you know has been injured at a hospital due to the Hospital's negligence or medical provider's malpractice call Portland Oregon attorney Jeremiah Ross for your free case evaluation at 503.224.1658.  Please remember Ross Law LLC is not affiliated with The LeapFrogGroup and the results above are not independently verified.  Please remember this post may be construed as attorney advertising.