We are preparing to file a lawsuit against an assisted living facility in Michigan which caused a severe injury to a resident when an aide attempted to push her in her wheelchair without the footrest intact. Our client sustained a severe fracture of her left ankle requiring surgery and an extended hospitalization.
In a case we recently resolved, Greenway v. Petoskey Geriatric Village, Margaret Greenway died as a result of injuries sustained by her when she was catapulted from her wheelchair as she was being pushed by an aide down the hall without the footrest in place.
Footrests are a commonsense safety device for use with wheelchairs to prevent serious lower extremity injuries.
Wheelchairs are intended to assist patients in a medical setting who cannot walk on their own. Wheelchair safety must be practiced by healthcare providers who should never assume that it is acceptable to push somebody in a wheelchair without footrests.