$134,000

Case Details

At age 78 a gentleman with back pain was admitted to the hospital for several nights. The hospital’s policies and procedures required that any admitted patient be evaluated to determine whether or not they were at risk of falling. Once assessed, it was determined that the Plaintiff was a high fall risk and required the placement of a bed alarm which warns staff when a patient is trying to get out of bed. The night before he was scheduled to be discharged the Plaintiff fell at 4:50 a.m. and broke his hip. The hospital defended the case arguing that the patient had disabled the bed alarm himself and even admitted as much to his doctor. However, at trial it was proven that this statement was unreliable because it was made while the patient was under the influence of pain medications and that it was impossible for the alarm to be disabled if it was properly installed. The jury returned a verdict in favor of the Plaintiff for $134,000 including medical expenses and pain and suffering.