If you were to believe the way they get depicted in movies, slip-and-fall accidents are nothing but a laugh. People in films and on television go flying into the air, only to get back up with nothing more than bruised pride. In the real world, slip-and-fall accidents can have a profound impact on someone’s health. They are no laughing matter. In some cases, they can lead to permanent disability. People can even die from a slip-and-fall accident.
For example, a pregnant woman could injure her child when falling or experience placental detachment. That could put her life and the life of her baby in danger. Older people could easily break a bone just from trying to stop the fall with an arm. Even otherwise healthy adults could end up breaking a bone, dislocating a joint, sustaining a head or brain injury or damaging their spinal cord.
There’s a reason that businesses take great steps to keep their floors and walkways clear. They want to avoid the liability that comes from a slip-and-fall incident.
Slip-and-fall accidents happen all the time
You may think that serious slip-and-fall accidents are rare, but they are actually quite common. Over a million people every year end up seeking medical treatment in emergency rooms due to a slip-and-fall incident. That’s over 2,700 people every day in the United States who get injured badly enough to seek care. Others may not realize the severity of their potential injury and could take longer to seek the care they need.
Head injuries, in particular, are common for slip-and-fall victims and often take a while to present symptoms. Because of this delay, combined with the embarrassment of falling in a public place, these people may wait to seek medical attention until symptoms become unavoidable. Anyone who loses consciousness or who strikes their head during a fall should seek medical care right away. The sooner an injury is found and diagnosed, the better the potential for treatment and preventing the worst symptoms.
What to do after a slip-and-fall
While you may not want to make a big deal about your accident, it’s important that you take a slip-and-fall seriously. Talk to a staff member and file an accident or incident report about your slip. Make sure that it is clear what caused your slip-and-fall, whether it was spilled fluid or an overly-waxed section of flooring. After your report gets filed, you should seem medical evaluation and treatment.
Even if you think your injuries are minor, it’s best to err on the side of caution. If you fail to get checked out by a doctor, you may have a harder time filing an insurance claim if your injuries worsen with time.
