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3 serious injuries you can suffer in a slip-and-fall at a store

On Behalf of | Feb 7, 2022 | Personal Injury |

You might lose balance at the store because there is a puddle of water by the entrance or maybe spilled product down one of the aisles. Although many people who fall don’t get hurt, serious injuries are possible in a slip-and-fall scenario. 

Knowing what injuries are possible can help you better evaluate the situation after you fall so that you can make an insurance claim if you need to later. 

Broken bones

People can break a bone in their arm, hand, foot or leg when they fall, either because they try to catch themselves on the way to the floor or because they hit something while flailing their limbs. Those over the age of 65 are at elevated risk of a severe fracture, like a broken hip. 

Broken bones are often obvious right after a fall, but stable or hairline fractures may not show symptoms until later. Broken bones require medical care and possibly weeks away from work.  

Soft tissue injuries

If you try to stop yourself from hitting the floor, you could easily pull a muscle in your arm, shoulder or back. Soft tissue injuries may not show symptoms right away. It might be the next morning when you realize that there is something wrong because you wake up in extreme pain. Like broken bones, soft tissue injuries will require medical diagnosis and could mean time off of work. 

Traumatic brain injuries

If you don’t slow your descent when you lose your balance, you could strike your head on the ground, causing bleeding, bruising or inflammation inside the skull. Traumatic brain injuries can range from mild to severe and may cause permanent consequences in some cases. 

Knowing to check yourself for the warning signs of the most common injuries from slip-and-falls could make it easier for you to get compensation for those injuries later.