Slip and fall accidents can be frightening and detrimental.
Part of what makes these injuries so impactful is that there is no chance to prepare for a slip and fall accident. They occur randomly and, unfortunately, preventative measures, for the most part, cannot be taken.
Aside from their spontaneous nature, slip and fall accidents can be quite expensive and costly when it comes to medical expenses.
People lead busy lives and with so much on the mind and occupying their focus, it is no surprise that slip and fall accidents are remarkably common.
Other than auto accidents, slip and fall accident injuries are one of the most often cases litigated by personal injury lawyers.
Due to the high variety of slip and fall accidents, it is important to understand that it is more so a cause of injury, rather than a type of injury.
Head Injuries
A head injury is always a medical emergency despite the significant amount of pain you may or may not feel.
If you have an accidental fall it is imperative you seek medical attention, especially if you notice any of the following:
When considering head injuries, you always want to be careful and evaluate for concussions.
A minor concussion can possibly fade on their own without medical attention. However, then you would be risking the intensity of the concussion by ignoring medical attention. You don't want to leave your health up to simply stating that you, "feel fine."
Head injuries cannot be diagnosed by just focusing on symptoms. Even a serious head injury can reveal minimum visible symptoms.
You should not consider squeezing in a doctor visit an inconvenience because nothing is more essential to your overall well-being than your health.
Remember, in terms of a possible personal injury lawsuit involving a slip and fall accident, medical visits could result in a successful lawsuit because of the tangible documentation of your injury.
Click here to learn more about neck-related injuries and the treatment options available to you.
Cuts and Abrasions
Slip and fall accidents that result in cuts and abrasions tend to be less severe than head injuries, but on the surface can look severe and gruesome.
Leg and arm abrasions are the most common ailments, followed by the hips and head.
While any personal injury from a slip and fall should be taken seriously, think of cuts and abrasions as surface-level injuries that are covering the more severe conditions.
These could include concussions or broken bones.
Soft Tissue Injuries
Unlike cuts, soft tissue injuries aren't easily visible. There is a chance you won't be aware of a soft tissue injury until days, or even weeks, after the slip and fall.
Soft tissue injuries range from minor sprains in the wrists and ankles to more serious injuries, such as tendon and ligament tears.
Soft tissue injuries can lead to chronic pain if left untreated, and may also make you vulnerable to additional injuries. Even if you feel fine after a fall, it's important to receive medical care, since soft tissue injuries do not commonly show immediate symptoms.
Due to the lack of visibility, it is difficult to prove soft tissue personal injuries in a lawsuit without proper medical records.
Spinal Cord Injuries
When the spinal cord is compressed or severed during a slip and fall accident is a spinal cord injury.
Spinal cord injuries are incredibly severe and potentially life-threatening. Therefore, immediate medical attention is absolutely necessary.
After initial medical care, spinal cord injuries will need additional persistent care, which can make these specific types of injuries costly. In the first year alone a spinal cord injury could round off around one million dollars.
With lower spine injuries leading to conditions such as chronic back pain or paraplegia, the higher up the injury along the spine increases the odds of the most severe condition, quadriplegia - full-on paralysis.
Broken Bones
Broken bones are normally outwardly visible, therefore they can be painful and scary.
They often range from minor fractures to complete breaks that will require multiple surgeries. It is also possible that tissue surrounding the bones may be damaged, which would demand long-term therapy to prevent any sort of neuromuscular problems and chronic pain.
Even if a bone is not clearly broken to the naked eye, it is critical to receive medical attention immediately.
X-rays will be taken to reveal any bone damage that would have been otherwise unnoticed. Any sudden and significant fall resulting in pain in a specific bone or joint should be diagnosed professionally at an emergency room.
To promote the best recovery, immediate medical care is necessary before excessive swelling can occur.
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Slip and fall injuries can be caused by your own negligence, such as weather conditions. However, many slip and fall cases are due at least in part to a business's negligence.
Common slip and fall injury causes include:
If you believe that you or someone you care about sustained a slip and fall injury as a result of someone else or a business's negligence, you should seek medical attention first and then seek legal action.
Lawsuits for slip and fall injuries have statutes of limitations. Therefore your timeframe may be limited. Contacting a personal injury attorney quickly is essential.
At The Florida Spine and Injury Centers, we treat all forms of Personal Injury Accidents, such as slip and fall injuries.
We treat slip and fall injuries with:
If you have a personal injury as a result of a slip and fall, our team can help alleviate your pain!