If you were to put your faith in the entertainment industry, you would probably think that slip-and-fall accidents are humorous and no reason for concern. However, in reality, such incidents can be quite serious and result in significant injuries to the person who slips.
Many factors influence how severe slip-and-fall injuries are for a victim, including their age and overall health. People over the age of 65 are more likely to suffer serious injuries, including broken bones. Once you know the kinds of injuries you might suffer in a slip and fall, you will understand why it’s important to report an incident when it happens and seek medical evaluation to rule out potentially life-altering injuries.
The biggest risks in a slip and fall are fractures and brain injuries
It is a totally natural reaction to try to catch oneself during a slip, which can lead to people flailing their arms or kicking their legs. People may strike their limbs or extremities on a shopping cart, nearby fixtures, walls or even furniture, potentially resulting in contusions or broken bones. Broken bones can also occur as a result of the fall itself, including broken hips and broken tail bones.
Quite a few people wind up shaken up in falls, which could cause some swelling of the brain and result in brain injuries. More concerning is the potential for someone to strike their head on objects nearby or the floor itself if they cannot catch themselves during the fall. While broken bones are often obvious when they occur, brain injuries may take several days to present noteworthy symptoms.
Anyone who hits their head or loses consciousness during a slip-and-fall accident should consider seeking medical evaluation to determine if a brain injury occurred. Even those without health insurance will want to follow up on such injuries, as doing so will connect their injuries to the slip and fall and make it easier to seek appropriate compensation, including for the medical treatment that they need.
