Fall in care home results in death

Sumit Morjaria, a specialist solicitor in medical negligence law, has successfully claimed compensation on behalf of the family of an elderly lady, who died from a brain injury following a fall at a care home.

Noelle had been a full-time resident at a care home in the West Midlands since December 2011.  In 2006 she was diagnosed with dementia.  She also had a history of tinnitus and symptoms of dizziness.  As a result, she was often unsteady on her feet with a well-known history of falls.

Over the following months the care home recorded unexplained bruising and a fall.  Neither Noelle’s son nor daughter were informed of these incidents.

In March 2012 the family visited Noelle to celebrate her 80th birthday.  They noticed a large bruise on Noelle’s left cheek.  Due to her dementia, Noelle was unable to say how this had happened.

Over the course of Noelle’s stay at the care home her mobility declined.  She required help to stand from a sitting position and was unsteady on her feet.

Despite this, the risk assessments completed by the care home staff indicated that Noelle did not have a high risk of falls.   Their scoring however was found to be incorrect as they failed to take into account Noelle’s history of falls and intermittent confusion relating to her level of dementia.

In October 2012 Noelle’s daughter received a call from a member of staff at the care home, who informed her that Noelle had been rushed to hospital, following a serious fall.

Upon admission to Hospital Noelle was unresponsive and unable to communicate.  She had suffered a significant brain injury.  X-ray’s also confirmed that she had fractured her left hip from the fall.

Noelle remained in hospital and underwent a hip replacement operation.  Unfortunately, her post-operative condition deteriorated and sadly, Noelle died in hospital.

Noelle’s family were shocked and saddened to learn of their mother’s fall at the care home and approached Sumit Morjaria of Shoosmiths for assistance.  Sumit helped the family through the legal process and a substantial out of court settlement was reached to reflect the pain and suffering caused to Noelle.

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This information is for educational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. It is recommended that specific professional advice is sought before acting on any of the information given. © Shoosmiths LLP 2025