Slip and Fall Injuries
Slip and fall injuries can happen anywhere and at any time. Many common slip and fall injuries are not that serious. The person may end up with bruising or some other issue that affects them temporarily, if at all. Those are not the situations that end up at the center of personal injury lawsuits. Unfortunately, severe, life-changing injuries may also occur in a slip and fall accident. In these circumstances, it is critical to consult a qualified attorney as soon as possible.
A property owner has a duty of care to keep their premises safe for visitors. A serious slip and fall injury can put the victim in the hospital or rehabilitative care for weeks or months. They cannot work or care for their family. They may never recover fully. A New Jersey slip and fall lawyer at Harrell Injury Law will investigate your claim and fight to get the maximum compensation for your injuries.
Common Slip and Fall Injuries
A severe slip and fall injury impacts a person’s life considerably. Such injuries necessitate a larger compensation award, as the victim has extensive medical expenses, and in some cases, longtime ongoing care.
The most serious common slip and fall injuries include the following:
Broken Bones
While any bone may break during a slip and fall injury, fractures of the wrist, ankle, or hip occur most frequently. The latter injury is among the most serious type of break, as a fractured hip affects long-term mobility and is prone to other complications.
Broken ribs are very painful and take a long time to heal. Breaking an arm or leg can mean a long recuperation without the ability to work during that period. A broken bone takes a minimum of six weeks to heal, with many taking far longer.
Traumatic Brain Injury
Hitting your head during a slip and fall can cause a traumatic brain injury (TBI). Any fall in which you hit your head constitutes an emergency and requires immediate medical treatment.
A concussion, while considered a minor TBI, can still pose serious consequences. Sometimes, the victim is unaware that they suffered a concussion, as their head did not actually hit the ground. Instead, the brain was jarred due to violent shaking. It is often friends and family members who notice the victim’s odd behaviors or symptoms.
More serious TBIs can render a slip and fall victim permanently impaired. Keep in mind that even severe head injuries may not show much in the way of initial symptoms.
Spinal Cord Injury
Compression or severing of the spinal cord is one of the worst types of slip and fall injuries. In the majority of cases, the effects are permanent. A spinal cord injury can result in paraplegia or quadriplegia. The former results in paralysis of the legs and lower body. The latter affects the entire body from the neck down.
Even less severe spinal cord injuries, such as fractured vertebrae or herniated discs, are debilitating and require surgery and significant physical therapy.
Treating spinal cord injuries is extremely expensive. As with TBIs, these injuries are often considered catastrophic because the person will never recover fully, and their quality of life changes completely.
Soft Tissue Injury
Unlike some other common slip and fall injuries, soft tissue injuries are not always apparent immediately. Some soft tissue injuries are relatively minor, such as a sprained wrist. Others, such as tears in the ligaments or tendons, can take a long time to heal if they ever heal completely.
Lacerations
Laceration refers to a tear in the skin. Deep cuts are common in slip and fall accidents. Besides skin damage, a deep wound may harm soft tissue, along with muscles and nerves. Lacerations, as well as severe abrasions, pose a great risk of infection.
A deep cut can result in substantial bleeding and blood loss. Life-threatening shock is always a possibility.
Contact a New Jersey Slip and Fall Attorney
If you or someone you know was seriously injured in a slip and fall accident due to a property owner’s negligence, you need the services of Harrell Injury Law. Contact us today and schedule a free, no-obligation consultation. Located in Wall Township near neighboring Howell Township, we serve all of Monmouth County. We work on a contingency basis, so you pay no fee unless you receive compensation.
