SLIP/TRIP & FALLS AT INOVA

Slip&Fall Lawyers in Virginia

People go to a hospital when they have been hurt. But no one expects to get hurt when they go to the hospital! Unfortunately, it does still happen. These injuries can be caused by any number of circumstances, such as slip and falls, trip and falls, construction injuries, and even car accidents on private property. Because INOVA is the dominant hospital and medical system in Northern Virginia, a large number of these hospital and health care related injuries happen on their premises.

If you get hurt at a hospital, then it's important to speak to an attorney right away. Hospitals are, of course, designed to help people. However, when a fall or other incident happens, the hospital takes on the form of its owning corporation, and their risk management team takes over - then they are only interested in helping themselves, not you. You need someone on your side who is going to fight for you, against INOVA's insurance companies, and against the corporation itself.

Call Blaszkow Legal today for experienced, aggressive representation, so you can get the compensation that you are entitled to for your injuries! 703-879-5910

What Makes Up the INOVA Health System?

There are numerous parts of the sprawling conglomerate that is INOVA:

• INOVA Alexandria (This hospital will soon relocate and be renamed INOVA WestEnd, though it is reported that most people will call it INOVA Landmark)

• INOVA Fairfax

• INOVA Fair Oaks

• INOVA Mount Vernon

• INOVA Loudoun

• INOVA Murphy Children’s Hospital

• INOVA Medical Group (Almost everything else falls into this umbrella, including walk-in clinics, doctors offices, cancer treatment centers, and more)

NOTE - while INOVA owns most of its own properties, that is not universally true. Several out-patient surgery centers that were relatively-recently purchased operate with the INOVA name, but are in-fact partnerships between INOVA and the former practice.

Common Injury-Incidents in INOVA Hospitals

Some of the most common incidents at Virginia hospitals and medical centers include:

• Slip and falls from spills, mopped areas without signage, chemical and water leaks, and more

• Trip and falls from improperly stored equipment such as scales, beds, and other medical devices

• Injuries due to construction, such as falling debris, construction waste in walkways, etc.

• Car accidents in parking lots

• Car accidents on private roadways

It is important to remember, that just because an injury happens at an INOVA-owned or INOVA-operated facility, does not mean that INOVA is itself liable. In order for there to be a civil claim, there has to be negligence.  Generally, negligence means that someone failed to do something that they should have done, or alternately, did something that they should not have done. An example of this would be if an INOVA employee deposited a large scale just around the corner in a hallway, where an innocent person can turn the corner and trip in full over the large and flat surface of the device.

Another common slip and fall is due to a wet surface. But here again, there has to be some sort of negligence. If a person leaving the INOVA hospital cafeteria spills something on the ground, and then you walk through it 2 minutes later, the hospital is probably not liable for that. They have not had a chance to remedy or address the dangerous condition. However, alternately, if that spill happened in front of an INOVA employee who saw the spill 15 minutes ago and did nothing about it, then you may have a claim!

*Trademark of INOVA. Most INOVA entities operate as part of INOVA Health System, now the INOVA Health System Foundation.

Injuries resulting from INOVA Slip & Falls

Falls can be caused by any number of incidents, as stated above. Oftentimes, the injuries are rather modest - but not always. Sometimes, these injuries can be very severe, indeed.

Some common injuries arising out of slip and falls in hospitals like INOVA include:

1. Broken arms

2. Broken legs

3. Fractures resulting in bone fragmentation

4. Bruises

5. Head injuries

6. Concussions

7. Scrapes/cuts

8. Deep lacerations

9. Sprains and strains of muscles

What to do if you have been hurt at the hospital?

If you have been hurt at an INOVA hospital or INOVA medical facility, it is important to take certain steps, to make sure that your civil claim is properly preserved:

• GET MEDICAL ATTENTION. If you are at INOVA Alexandria, and you get hurt, then go down to the emergency room. There is nothing wrong with getting emergency medical attention at the same facility where have gotten hurt. Hospital staff are not going to treat you improperly, or deficiently, because you fell in another part of the hospital. However, if you feel that you would be more comfortable at another facility, that is always your right.

• NOTIFY THE HOSPITAL. It is important to make proper notification, so the hospital can begin its own investigation, and can begin documenting the circumstances or facts that surround your injury, and its cause. The INOVA risk management department will assign someone to begin looking into the case right away. It is always important to provide them notification, so that the hospital can immediately begin protecting and preserving certain items, that they do as a matter of course, such as camera footage, visitors logs, and other vital documents and pieces of evidence.

• DOCUMENT THE SCENE. It is extremely important to know what happened, and gather as much evidence as is possible. This means taking as many pictures as possible. Take pictures of the location of the incident, and anything that caused the incident. If for example you slipped and fell on water in a hallway, and you see that it is leaking from the ceiling above, it's an important to get a picture of both the floor, and the leaking ceiling!

• IDENTIFY WITNESSES. If you are with someone, or someone saw your incident happen, try to get their name and contact information. If all you can get is a name and job location, such as radiology or patient transport, then so be it. But this information will be vital to proving your case later on. At the very least, you can take a picture of the witness, which may help us identify them in litigation.

• GET FOLLOW-UP MEDICAL TREATMENT. After getting an emergency evaluation, then you should certainly follow up with another medical provider. Some people will go to a primary care doctor, whereas others will need a referral to an orthopedist for a more in-depth evaluation. In this instance, for continuing care, it is generally advisable to go outside of the INOVA health system. This is important because that doctor may ultimately need to testify in your case.

• CALL BLASZKOW LEGAL. The corporation that owns the hospital is going to do everything possible to attack and or minimize your claim as soon as it is made. Do not get involved in the arguments that they are going to make against you. It is vital for you to hire and experienced premises liability lawyer right away, so that we can begin our investigation, and begin to preserve and develop the evidence in your claim.

Get Help from an Experienced INOVA Slip&Fall Attorney Today!

Blaszkow Legal Injury Attorneys has been fighting for the rights of injured people throughout Northern Virginia for over 40 years. We have battled INOVA in the past for our clients and won! We know how to navigate the labyrinth of corporate entities that INOVA has created, many of them set up to try to muddy the waters, and avoid civil claims by making it impossible for people without attorneys to file lawsuits against the right entity involved. Don't get stressed out by the minefield INOVA has laid out. Focus on your medical care, and let Blaszkow battle for you! 

Call us today for a free consultation, anywhere in Northern Virginia, and the whole of the DMV.

703-879-5910 | FREE CONSULTATIONS ON ALL PERSONAL INJURY CASES