People who experience a slip-and-fall at a business tend to make the same two mistakes. They may leave the store without reporting the incident to anyone who works there. They may also choose not to see a doctor to check for injuries.
Those mistakes can make it much more difficult for someone hurt in a slip-and-fall scenario to secure the compensation they deserve. A report at the store helps ensure that there are formal records of what occurred. A medical evaluation can help people obtain a diagnosis if they have an invisible injury. Seeing a doctor right after a slip-and-fall also makes it easier to prove that the injury is the result of what happened at the store.
Despite what people may assume, slip-and-falls can lead to relatively serious injuries. The following are some of the most concerning injuries possible in a slip-and-fall scenario.
Broken bones
When people try to slow themselves as they fall, they could unintentionally hurt themselves. Particularly when people are 55 years old or older, they could very easily break a bone in a same-level fall. Arms, collarbones and ribs are vulnerable in particular when people slip and fall at a store. Broken bones can lead to lost wages and medical expenses.
Soft tissue injuries
Trying to slow a fall often involves frantic movements. People tense up during the fall and may experience muscular inflammation and pain afterward. Soft tissue injuries from a slip-and-fall can cause significant pain and can affect an individual’s functional capabilities. People may require physical therapy, pain relief and time away from work to heal properly.
Traumatic brain injuries
The worst injury possible in a slip-and-fall scenario occurs when someone hits their head as they fall. The force of impact in a slip-and-fall scenario can lead to bleeding inside the skull that causes a variety of different symptoms. People may not notice brain injuries initially, which is one reason why seeing a doctor after falling is so important. Their symptoms could get worse if they don’t get the care they need quickly.
Anyone injured in a slip-and-fall scenario could potentially have grounds for a premises liability lawsuit. Holding a business accountable for unsafe facilities and the injuries that result can minimize the losses people incur because they have fallen in a public space.