Before you think about legal action, prioritize immediate safety and documentation.
- Get medical care right away (especially for head injuries, fractures, dizziness, or sudden changes in behavior).
- Request the incident details while they’re fresh: time of the fall, where it occurred, who witnessed it, what staff did immediately afterward, and what the resident’s condition was during the first hours.
- Start a family timeline: what you were told, when you were told it, and any changes you observed after the incident.
- Preserve what you can: discharge papers, imaging results, medication lists, and any written communications from the facility.
In Montana, these early records can matter because they shape how later medical opinions and facility responses are understood.


