What Types of Injuries Can You Suffer From a Slip and Fall Accident?

Rachel Olszewski

Slip and fall accidents are some of the most common causes of personal injuries. Approximately 3 million elderly individuals are sent to the emergency room every year for fall injuries. People underestimate how much damage can be done to the human body from a fall. There are many causes for falls, and these accidents can happen to anyone, but sometimes, they’re not entirely accidental.

When you slip and fall while walking on ice or in inclement weather, that’s no one’s fault. But it’s different when you’re in someone’s home, a store, or on some other private or publicly owned property someone is supposed to maintain, and you slip and fall. In these cases, it’s someone’s fault when you slip and fall, or fall on something exposed and dangerous.

The slip and fall accident attorneys at Scartelli Olszewski, P.C. can help you identify what type of slip and fall accident you experienced, and if you can hold someone legally responsible for your injury.

Common Causes of Slip and Fall Injuries

There are many different causes of slip and fall injuries. Some materials that may lead to your fall include:

• Spills
• Ice
• Snow
• Rain
• Loose mats and rugs
• Stepladders
• Poor lighting
• Clutter

Most of these may seem like things out of anyone’s control, but in many cases, you were only vulnerable to things like spills, stepladders, and clutter due to someone else’s own negligence. For example, if you fell due to an aisle spill, why wasn’t that cleaned up? Or marked with a wet floor sign? That’s negligence on the part of the store owner. Or if there’s clutter where you fall, making the injuries from your fall exponentially worse, why is the homeowner not properly storing their items? That’s negligence on the part of the homeowner.

These causes lead to several types of injuries that you can seek compensation for, and some are so minor we may not recommend filing a lawsuit. To better understand whether or not you have a case, please contact our slip and fall accident attorneys for a free consultation.

What Types of Slip and Fall Injuries Are Worth a Lawsuit?

Slip and fall accidents involve a person losing their balance and entering an uncontrolled fall. Different parts of your body fall different distances and are more at risk. For example, if you’re 6ft tall, the distance your head falls to the ground is nearly 6ft.

This means that if your injury sounds similar to someone else’s, but your injury is lesser or greater than theirs, that’s normal. Make sure you see a doctor, get treated, and bring a record of your injury to us.

Some of the most common slip and fall injuries include:

• Sprains and fractures (muscles and bone)
• Spinal cord injuries
• Neck injuries
• Concussions
• Cuts and lacerations
• Knee and ankle injuries
• Shoulders, elbows, and wrist injuries
• Facial injuries
• Limb dislocation (such as a dislocated shoulder)

What Are the Consequences of Slip and Fall Injuries?

Injuries to the neck and spinal cord can be considered the most physically serious. They can lead to long-lasting conditions such as partial or complete paralysis, and require expensive surgeries to treat them. Depending on the seriousness, concussions can lead to similar consequences. This means that a victim of a slip-and-fall accident can face large medical bills for the rest of their life.

Other injury areas like the knees, ankles, shoulders, elbows, and wrists aren’t as life-threatening, but threaten someone’s ability to work just as much as any other injury, if not more in some instances. This can lead to a large loss in wages until they can recover.

Facial injuries, cuts, and lacerations can leave the greatest effect on someone’s looks and aesthetics. This can lead to mental and emotional anguish that goes beyond what people with other injuries experience.

What Should You Do If You Suffer a Slip and Fall Accident?

If you suffer a slip and fall accident, the first thing you should do is see a doctor to diagnose and treat your injuries. The more you leave it alone, the worse it can get. Once you know the extent of your injury, you should schedule a consultation with our slip and fall accident attorneys. We can review the extent of your injuries and the circumstances around your fall to estimate the compensation you’re owed.

We have extensive experience with helping victims of another’s negligence get the compensation they deserve. No one should have to stand and suffer because of another person’s inability to take care of their property. Contact us today to schedule a consultation.