Common Injuries from Slip-and-Fall Accidents

One million people in the United States visit the emergency room each year because of a slip and fall. Jordan Law Center discusses eight common injuries from slip-and-fall accidents.

Eight Common Slip-and-Fall Accident Injuries

1. Broken bones

A bone breaks when it is subjected to more force than it can withstand. Bones are rigid and less flexible than other bodily tissues. That’s a good thing—bones give the body shape. However, when a fall occurs, too much pressure can be applied to a bone. Commonly, broken bones in slip-and-fall accidents are the radius and ulna, humerus, bones in the hand, kneecaps, and pelvis.

2. Brain trauma, concussion

Falls are the top cause of traumatic brain injury (TBI). Brain trauma can result from the head striking the ground or a penetrating object. A TBI can also occur if the brain is violently shaken in the fall. Brain trauma can result in loss of consciousness and brain function and may cause brain bleeding and bruising. A person may even suffer from a fractured skull.

3. Nerve damage

In a fall, nerves can be stretched or cut. A fall can apply pressure to the nerves, causing harm.

A person may experience paralysis, tingling, or loss of feeling. Pain may be radiating, and the person may experience sensory abnormality or incontinence. Nerve damage may occur with or without broken bones.

4. Cuts, lacerations, bruising

When blood vessels are damaged, cuts and bruises can occur. Bleeding may happen from the skin or may be internal. Bleeding is a serious medical condition and can cause shock, organ failure, and death. Lacerations also carry a risk of infection.

5. Dislocation

Joints can be pulled, pushed, and stretched in a fall. A joint may also become dislocated, which happens when a bone is moved from its normal place. A joint may be completely or partially dislocated. Common locations for dislocation include shoulders, fingers, and hips.

6. Soft tissue damage

Soft tissue injuries from a slip-and-fall may include sprains, torn ligaments, torn tendons, and whiplash. The severity of soft tissue damage shouldn’t be overlooked because of the potential for long-term chronic pain. A person with soft tissue injury may have complications from favoring one side of the body or limited mobility may result in lower overall health outcomes.

7. Mental health injury

A slip-and-fall is a traumatic event, both physically and mentally. A person may suffer from anxiety and depression and may avoid things that remind them of what happened. They may replay the events repeatedly. Although it can’t be seen in an x-ray, mental health injury is a common harm from a slip-and-fall.

8. Bulging disc, back pain

Spinal discs cushion the spinal column. A fall can result in a bulging disc. Physical therapy, chiropractic care, and surgery may be necessary. Back pain may also result from cracked vertebrae and pinched nerves.

Injury Severity Score (ISS) and Slip-and-Fall Claims

Trauma can be assessed using the Injury Severity Score (ISS). The scale is based on mortality, morbidity, and hospitalization from injury. Scores run from minor to not survivable.

• Minor
• Moderate
• Serious
• Severe
• Critical
• Maximal, Not survivable

Assessing the severity of the injury can help predict outcomes and determine appropriate treatment. For slip-and-fall compensation, the severity of the injury helps to determine the appropriate compensation. The extent of injury often correlates with medical bills and personal care needs. It is also an indicator of pain and suffering and disfigurement, two factors that impact a compensation award.

Blunt, Penetrating or Violent Injury

There are multiple ways that a slip-and-fall accident can result in an injury. A person often suffers blunt trauma when they strike the ground or an object in their path. They may suffer penetrating injury if they strike something sharp. In addition, the brain and other soft tissue may sustain injury from violent shaking.

What Factors Influence Injuries Sustained in a Slip-and-Fall?

Factors that may influence the severity of injury from a slip-and-fall include the following:

• Direction of force
• How much force
• Overall physical health of the person
• Pre-existing conditions
• Emergency response, how fast the person receives treatment
• Quality of medical care
• The surface struck, whether it is sharp, abrasive, or padded
• Height the person falls from
• Angle the person strikes an object or ground
• Gloves, clothing, headwear, or anything else that may soften the fall

Assessing Slip-and-Fall Injuries

If a person could be seriously hurt from falling, call emergency responders. They may instruct you not to move the person if there is a chance of spinal injury. Diagnosing slip-and-fall injuries may call for imaging tests, cognitive and movement tests, patient history, personal reporting of symptoms, and investigation into the mechanics of the fall. Medical care should include stabilizing the patient, investigating the full extent of injuries, and creating a treatment plan.

Compensation for Common and Uncommon Injuries

Whether injuries are common or uncommon, a victim deserves fair compensation. In all cases, the victim must identify the injuries they have and prove they were caused by the slip-and-fall.

Medical and expert testimony may be required.

A person pursuing compensation for a slip-and-fall may claim for all injuries they sustain, even if another person may not have suffered the same harm, such as an aggravation of an existing injury.

Lawyer for Slip-and-Fall Accidents

At Jordan Law Center, we investigate and build your case, showing how your injuries have affected you. If you have been hurt in a slip-and-fall, you deserve fair compensation.

We’re taking new cases now. Call or message us today.