Incidents that occur at businesses can leave people with catastrophic injuries. A person doesn’t need to fall down the stairs or experience a car crash to develop permanent, life-altering injuries. Sometimes, slipping in a puddle at a big-box retailer is all it takes to develop injuries that forever change a person’s life.
Slip-and-fall incidents are somewhat common. Frequently, the person who falls ends up bruised or with a few small scrapes. However, the potential exists for them to sustain far more serious injuries. In some cases, a slip-and-fall at a public location could lead to permanent injuries that cause major medical expenses and forever diminish an individual’s earning potential.
What types of catastrophic injuries are possible in a slip-and-fall scenario?
Broken bones
People can easily break bones as they try to catch themselves in a same-level fall. Many fractures or broken bones heal well with appropriate treatment. Still, a full recovery is never certain.
Older adults and people with lower bone density could experience more severe fractures, such as comminuted fractures. They may require surgery to heal and may always have limited strength and range of motion in the injured body part.
Other times, fractures don’t heal properly, leading to complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS). CRPS is a permanent, progressive medical condition that can affect quality of life and even the capability to continue working.
Brain injuries
People could hit their heads on fixtures, shopping carts or the floor in a slip-and-fall. Blunt-force trauma to the head is a leading cause of traumatic brain injuries (TBIs). A TBI may not be obvious initially, but symptoms can slowly develop over time.
The symptoms of a TBI can also worsen as pressure inside the skull increases. A TBI usually does not respond to treatment, meaning that symptoms could be permanent. Brain injuries can cause a reduction in earning potential or an inability to work at all. They can cause a range of symptoms that affect people’s quality of life, ability to work and independence.
A premises liability lawsuit is sometimes possible when a slip-and-fall causes major injuries. Proving that negligent property maintenance contributed to an incident could help injured people hold companies accountable for creating a dangerous situation.
