Slips and falls are among the most common accidents a person can experience. The main reason for that is that it can happen to anyone, anywhere.
Although many slip and fall accidents are minor, others may lead to serious injuries.
Many factors affect the severity of the accident, including the height of the fall, the angle of the impact, and the surface the person landed on. Understanding what the most common injuries are will make it much easier for the victim if they ever feel the need to file a lawsuit for what happened.
Below is a breakdown of the most common injuries for a slip and fall, as well as what steps to take to ensure the person's safety. Our team can also advise on common injuries in a construction accident.
An Overview of the Most Common Slip and Fall Injuries
Whether it's a serious injury or not, everyone should be aware of the risks that come from a slip and fall accident. Below is everything a person should know about these injuries:
Head Injuries
Head injuries are among the most severe ones. Although not all injuries are fatal, they can result in hefty bills from the hospital.
In a nutshell, these injuries happen when the fall causes the person to hit their head with a hard surface. Sometimes, these accidents can lead to traumatic brain injuries. As the name implies, these injuries involve damage to the brain.
Brain injuries are often caused by getting hit in the head, but that's not the only case where they can happen. In some rare cases, the person can still get injured if they snap their head sufficiently in a fall, causing trauma to the brain.
While it's possible to recover from a brain injury, not everyone will get rid of all the symptoms associated with it.
The symptoms of a head injury can be mild or severe, depending on the circumstances of the accident. These symptoms include:
Headaches
Dizziness
Unconsciousness
Seizures
Blurry vision
Ringing in the ears
After getting a traumatic brain injury, the victim should seek medical attention immediately. This will ensure the best chances of recovery later.
Back Injuries
A slip and fall injury involving the back can be as serious as the previous one. The main reason for that is that a back injury can affect different areas, including the ligaments, muscles, and even the spinal cord.
Spinal cord injuries, for example, can affect a person's nervous system. Not only may that lead to chronic pain, but it could also affect the victim's life permanently.
Something to note about these injuries is that they often don't reveal themselves right away. Some people start feeling symptoms after a few days. They include:
Intense pain
Weakness in the limbs
Numbness
Difficulty to move
Waiting too long to address back injuries can lead to long-term disability or paralysis. Depending on the case, the person may have to undergo extensive treatment, which involves medication, physical therapy, or rest. In severe cases, surgery may also be on the table.
Soft Tissue Injuries
A soft tissue injury is one that affects the ligaments, muscles, and tendons. Mild cases involve strains and sprains, whereas other ones could result in ruptures.
Even though these injuries may not seem as severe as the other ones, they still require immediate medical attention. Some symptoms include:
Intense pain
Bruising
Swelling
Stiffness
Depending on the case, the victim may only rest and use ice/compression treatments to recover. It's also possible to take pain relief medication or start physical therapy after a while.
Not treating soft tissue injuries right away can lead to reduced mobility.
Broken Bones
Broken bones can be extremely painful for the person, and unfortunately, they're a common consequence of slip and fall accidents.
It's not necessary for a person to fall from a significant height to fracture a bone. As a person ages, their bones become more fragile, so even a small fall could lead to major consequences.
People who don't treat their broken bones may have to deal with complications or even disability in the future.
Some of the most common "fracture areas" include:
Wrists
Hips
Arms
Ribs
Ankles
Collarbones
Any of these areas can result in intense pain for the person. Also, they will experience reduced mobility during the recovery stage. Unfortunately, most broken bone cases take long to heal, so it's always better to seek medical attention as soon as possible to get the best help available.
Facial Injuries
As the name implies, these injuries affect the person's face. Considering the nature of slip and fall accidents, it's not rare for a person to get hit there.
Facial injuries include a variety of consequences, including:
Cuts/abrasions
Cracked or broken teeth
Split lips
Lacerated tongue
Broken jaw
Broken nose
Eye injuries
Not only are facial injuries painful, but they can take long to heal, depending on what happened.
Superficial Injuries
Superficial injuries are among the least severe ones on the list. However, this doesn't mean they shouldn't be taken seriously.
When someone falls on any surface, they're likely to get cuts, lacerations, and scrapes on several body parts, including:
Face
Elbows
Hands
Knees
These injuries can get even worse if there is debris, gravel, or any other sharp material on the surface. In these cases, the person can damage their skin. Gravel, for example, can easily penetrate the skin, which not only causes pain but can also lead to infections.
Falling on rough surfaces, on the other hand, may result in the person scraping or brushing their skin on them, leading to "road rash."
Finally, getting deep cuts will require the person to get surgery, which can leave scars.
Who Is At Fault for Slip and Fall Accidents?
It's tricky to know who is responsible for a person's injury at times. While it may seem like a slip and fall is the victim's fault in most cases, there may be some other parties involved in the accident.
In New York, the person responsible for the victim's injury is the one who had the ability to prevent it. Sometimes, this can be the property's owner.
A common example includes restaurants or stores. The owners have a duty to ensure these spaces are always safe for people to be in. When the floor is wet, for example, the owners have to leave a sign that clearly indicates this.
What happens when there isn't any sign? Anyone could easily walk on that surface and slip. This can lead to any of the injuries mentioned on this page.
Talking to personal injury attorneys can help victims understand who may have been at fault for the accident. If the attorney can prove that the property owner was negligent in maintaining a safe environment for the person, they could recover damages. They can also consult on common injuries for a dog bite.
Property owners aren't the only ones responsible in these cases, though. Sometimes, the people involved can also be tenants and managers.
What Should People Do After a Slip and Fall Accident?
Victims of a slip and fall accident must take a series of steps to ensure they have the best chance of recovery. If possible, they should:
Get to a safe place.
Get medical attention.
Document their injuries and the scene of the accident.
Talk to witnesses and the person responsible for the place (owner, manager, or tenant).
Call a personal injury lawyer to discuss their next steps.
Time is of the essence here. Waiting too long to address these injuries can result in the person's case getting dismissed. By talking to a legal professional, victims can get their lawsuit started as soon as possible.
Can Victims Claim Compensation for Damages After an Accident?
Yes, victims of a slip and fall accident can claim compensation if they can prove that it was someone else's fault. While proving such a thing isn't easy, getting help from a slip and fall attorney in Long Island can make the process much simpler.
Some of the damages a person can recover include:
Medical bills
Rehabilitation/medication expenses
Therapy expenses
Lost wages
Loss of future earning capacity
Pain and suffering
If the person involved in the accident dies, their surviving family members can still file a lawsuit. Through a wrongful death case, these people can seek compensation for what happened and pay for funeral and burial expenses, among other things.
The compensation amount will depend on several factors, including the severity of the injuries and the degree of fault of the defendant.
Can a Personal Injury Lawyer Help with Slip and Fall Accidents?
Getting help from a lawyer will always be the best option to consider after a slip and fall accident. These experts will help every step of the way, including in the following tasks:
Gathering evidence
Talking to people related to the case
Negotiating with insurance companies
Building a solid case
Representing the victim in court if necessary
Bottom Line
There are many potential risks related to slip/fall accidents. Slip and fall events can happen anywhere, so it's possible for anyone to get involved in one and sustain injuries.
At the Law Office of Carl Maltese, there's a team of experts ready to help those in Long Island seek justice for what happened. Those who have experienced a slip and fall injury and want to learn more about their next steps can seek a free consultation today.