What Does Success Look Like To You?

3 serious injuries that can result from a public slip-and-fall

Slipping and falling in real life is much different than how it looks on a TV show. Falls are often staged to seem dramatic and humorous for entertainment purposes, but they can often result in severe injuries in the real world.

You don’t have to fall from a significant height to get hurt. Falling from the same level because you slipped can cause life-altering injuries or at least injuries that could have lasting financial consequences. When you understand what injuries you might suffer if you slip and fall in public, you will have the knowledge necessary better protect your health and your finances.

What are some of the more common and serious ways people get injured when they fall?

They suffer soft tissue injuries

It is normal for the body to tense up in response to losing your balance. Attempts to brace or catch yourself as you fall could lead to overexertion or overextension of a body part, resulting in painful inflammation and motion limitations.

The soft tissue injuries that result from a slip-and-fall incident could affect your ability to go to work for weeks afterward. You may need medical intervention to address tissue damage and pain. Physical therapy may also be necessary.

Broken bones

You could sprain your wrist if you try to grab your shopping cart on your way down to the floor, or you could potentially break your arm. People break bones ranging from their collar bones to their hips in slip-and-fall accidents.

The older someone is when they fall, the more likely they are to suffer a serious fracture and the harder it will be for them to recover from a broken bone. People who work in physically demanding careers may find that a broken bone, just like a soft tissue injury, could require several months of time off of work.

Traumatic brain injuries

Failing to catch yourself on the way down could hurt you, but not trying to stop your fall at all could be a bigger mistake. If you strike your head on nearby fixtures, the floor, the wall or even a shopping cart, you may suffer internal bleeding and bruising as a result.

It could be several days before you even notice any symptoms. The longer you go without medical intervention, the more a brain injury could progress after you fall and hit your head.

Learning about premises liability claims can help you get insurance compensation or file a civil lawsuit for the injuries you suffered when you fell.

Archives