The Impact of a Slip and Fall Accident on the Victim’s Life

Slip and fall victims risk sustaining painful, disabling, and life-threatening injuries. Most people are lucky enough to recover from their slips and falls injuries completely, but some people, particularly elderly people, are not.

When a slip and fall accident happens on someone else’s property that leaves the victim with severe injuries, the victim can file a judicial claim for compensation if the accident was brought on by the property owner’s negligence. Call an experienced slip and fall injury lawyer to help you with your claims.

What Happens in a Slip-and-Fall Accident

In a slip-and-fall accident, the person who fell may suffer injuries such as bruises, sprains, fractures, or head injuries, depending on the severity of the fall. These injuries can be minor to severe and have long-lasting effects on the individual’s health, mobility, and quality of life. Suppose the slip-and-fall accident occurred due to someone else’s negligence, such as a property owner failing to maintain a safe environment.

In that case, the injured person might have legal grounds to pursue a personal injury claim. This could include seeking compensation for medical bills, lost salaries, pain and suffering, and other damages. To determine liability, the injured person must establish that the property owner had a duty to maintain a safe environment, that this duty was breached, and that the breach was the direct cause of the slip-and-fall accident. Evidence such as eyewitness accounts, photographs, and expert testimony may be used to support the claims.

Common Injuries in Slip and fall Accidents

Slip and fall accidents can result in severe injuries regardless of how or why you fell. A sudden and unexpected fall to the ground can cause several severe injuries. Here are some of the more common slip and fall accident injuries.

1. Broken bones: This often occurs when there’s an impact with a hard floor or object in the way; as a result, bones could be shattered. Bone fractures are also possible, especially for the elderly, because of their skeletal fragility.

2. Cuts and lacerations: This can result from a fall on a sharp metal, broken glass, and other dangerous objects resulting in an open wound through the skin. Not only can these wounds require medical attention in the form of stitches or sutures to heal (sometimes resulting in permanent scars), but they can also cause damage to the nerves and other soft tissue beneath the skin.

3. Spinal Cord Injuries: Spinal cord injuries (SCI) are severe injuries inflicted on any part of the spinal cord or nerves. SCI is often considered a catastrophic injury because it often alters a person’s lifestyle. A spinal cord injury can lead to intense pain, difficulty breathing, weakness, the loss of sensory function either partially or entirely, or motor control of arms, legs, and/or body.

4. Sprained Ankle or Wrist: Falling can cause a sprained ankle for several reasons. A minor slip quickly causes sprained ankles. People frequently extend their arms during a fall to lessen the impact, which can cause a sprained wrist. You could sustain a sprain or a strain if the ligaments in your wrist or ankle as a result of a fall. Sprains and strains can take a very long time to recover since ligaments don’t get a lot of blood flow.

The Impact of a Slip and Fall Accident on the Victim’s Life

A slip-and-fall accident can significantly impact the victim’s life in the short and long term. Here are some of the ways that a slip-and-fall accident can affect a victim:

1. Physical Injuries: Slip and fall accidents can cause a wide range of physical injuries, from minor bruises and sprains to more severe injuries like breaking some bone, head injuries, and spinal cord injuries. The severity of the injuries will depend on the nature of the accident, the age and health of the victim, and other factors. Some injuries require immediate medical attention, while others require ongoing treatment and rehabilitation.

2. Emotional Trauma: Slip and fall accidents can cause emotional trauma in addition to physical injuries. Victims may experience fear, anxiety, and depression due to the accident and struggle with their injuries’ emotional and psychological impact.

3. Financial Burden: Slip and fall accidents can financially burden the victims and their families. Medical bills can be expensive, especially if the victim requires ongoing treatment or rehabilitation. Additionally, the victim may be unable to work or may have reduced earning capacity due to their injuries, leading to lost wages and a diminished quality of life.

4. Lifestyle Changes: Depending on the severity of their injuries, a slip and fall victim may need to make significant lifestyle changes. They may need to use mobility aids like crutches or a wheelchair, modify their home to make it more accessible, or adjust their daily routines to accommodate their injuries.

5. Legal Issues: If the negligence of another party caused the accident, the victim might have the legal right to file a personal injury lawsuit to recover compensation for their injuries and other damages.