When someone falls, possible injuries range from bruises and soft-tissue damage to potentially deadly traumatic brain injuries. It is instinctual for people to reach out to protect themselves when they feel themselves falling. Trying to catch yourself by bracing with an arm or grabbing at items nearby is common.
While the intention is to slow the fall and reduce how badly someone gets hurt, the result could easily be a broken bone. People could also break lower extremities if they strike items or twist their bodies as they fall.
Although broken bones usually heal in a couple of months, sometimes they can have more serious consequences. Broken bones can occasionally cause permanent medical disability.
Sometimes the body doesn’t heal itself properly
Although the vast majority of people heal fully after a broken bone, for a small percentage of people, the healing process will cause worse issues. Complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS) sometimes develops after trauma to a body part.
Instead of someone’s pain going away as they heal, they will notice worsening pain symptoms even though they should theoretically be better. People with CRPS report a deep, tingling or burning pain in the affected body part. They might notice a loss of strength or a decrease in their range of motion or flexibility.
Sometimes, they will be visible differences, as the texture or color of the skin, hair or nails near the injury may change. There could be a noticeable temperature difference when compared to the same body part on the other side of the body. The pain may affect everything from their sleep to their ability to do their job.
Serious slip-and-fall injuries may require insurance
Most businesses have a general liability policy, and those that allow public access to their facilities will likely have a premises liability policy as well. Someone who suffers a serious injury when they slip and fall could make a claim against the business’s insurance.
If there isn’t a policy in place, then the person affected by the slip-and-fall incident may have grounds for a premises liability lawsuit against the business. People can claim their lost wages and medical expenses, which could amount to thousands of dollars.
Learning more about your rights will be invaluable as you try to adjust to life with a debilitating injury after a slip-and-fall incident in a public place.