Slip and Fall Accidents
What are Slip and Fall Accidents?
Slip and fall accidents, as the name implies, occur when a person trips or slips and falls and becomes hurt.
Many hazardous conditions lead to these types of accidents:
Tripping on torn or wet flooring
Falling in places that have dim lighting
Tripping and falling down narrow steps
Falling over uneven sidewalks or other outdoor hazards
The National Safety Council explains that fall-related accidents account for over NINE MILLION emergency room visits each year! These accidents often occur on another person’s property, which means that property owner may be responsible for slip and fall injuries. If you have been hurt while on someone else’s property, it may be difficult to prove who is responsible for your injuries.
When trying to successfully prove responsibility for a slip and fall, it is essential to show two factors.
The accident was caused by a dangerous condition.
The property owner knew or should have known the risks of allowing that condition.
If your slip and fall accident meets those two factors, you may be able to recover expenses such as medical bills, lost wages, and pain and suffering. Bowen Law Firm is available to help those who have been seriously injured in slip and fall accidents through out California.
Common Injuries Sustained From Slip and Fall Accidents
Slip and fall injuries range from minor to severe. Since slip and fall accidents happen suddenly, they can change your life in an instant and cause a great deal of pain and hardship. The most common types of injuries that stem from slip and falls are:
Broken Bones
Slipping and falling can easily cause broken bones. You can suffer minor fractures or have more severe injuries that require surgery. When bones break, surrounding tissues may suffer harm as well. Such injuries may require therapy for chronic pain. After a fall, if you feel sharp pain in a bone or joint area or experience swelling and bleeding, you should seek medical attention.
soft tissue injuries
After a slip and fall, you may think that everything is fine. However, certain injuries, such as sprains and ligament tears, show no outer effects. If untreated, these injuries could leave you in chronic pain. Symptoms may not appear for a long time after an accident, so it is important to be checked by a medical professional.
spinal cord injuries
Some of the most traumatic slip and fall accidents cause spinal cord injuries. These life-altering injuries require immediate medical attention. In severe cases, a person may suffer paralysis. Such tragic injuries require extensive, expensive treatment. In cases like this, it’s crucial to contact a slip and fall lawyer. To help pay for all the costs from a slip and fall accident, you should seek the maximum amount of compensation. A slip and fall accident attorney can obtain a top-dollar settlement amount for you.
cranial injuries
If you slip, fall, and hurt your head, you should seek medical assistance. Even though everything may seem fine, you may be suffering from a minor concussion. Other times, a fall results in noticeable concussion symptoms like a headache, dizziness, or difficulty thinking. More serious falls may lead to traumatic brain injuries, which can cause permanent health problems.
cuts and bruises
Some of the least serious but most common injuries from slip and fall accidents are cuts and bruises. Upon falling, you usually scrape some part of your body. Minor scrapes are easily remedied, but deep cuts may require stitches.
Types of Damages You Can Recover after a Slip & Fall Accident
If you were injured in a slip and fall accident, you may be able to recover damages. In personal injury cases, you may recover three different types of damages.
ECONOMIC DAMAGES - Economic damages reimburse you for the financial costs of your accident. A defendant (or their insurance company) pays you for medical bills and lost wages.
NON-ECONOMIC DAMAGES - Non-economic damages attempt to pay you for your emotional damages suffered as a result of your slip and fall injuries. This category includes things like pain and suffering. For example, if you can’t enjoy relationships like you used to, a court may award payment for loss of companionship (known as loss of consortium).
PUNITIVE DAMAGES - Sometimes a defendant commits a particularly terrible form of negligence or a deceptive action. For instance, a defendant may destroy video surveillance of a slip and fall. In such a case, a court may award punitive damages. However, courts are not likely to award punitive damages in typical slip and fall cases.
If you fall and become injured from unsafe conditions on someone else’s property, please call our Roseville office at (916) 742-2220 or click here for a free consultation.