Type of Injuries Commonly Seen in Florida Slip and Fall Cases

Slip and fall accidents can cause serious injuries that require expensive medical care and physical therapy. They might even produce long-term or permanent disabilities that justify pursuing a personal injury claim.

A slip and fall usually happens when your feet lose traction and slide forward, causing your body to fall back, or if you trip and fall forward. You might extend your arms to catch your fall. However, you probably won’t have the strength to prevent your buttocks, back, and/or head from hitting the ground. This impact can cause many injuries, including the following:

Fractured Hip

Your buttocks will often strike the ground first. If you manage to sit down, you might only bruise your tailbone or buttock. However, a hard impact, particularly on your side, can cause a hip fracture.

A hip fracture does not occur in the pelvis but at the top of the femur, where the thigh bone meets the hip bone. Most hip fractures require surgical repair to rebuild the upper end of the femur using screws. In some cases, though, a hip replacement may be necessary.

Disc Injury

Collagen discs sit between the vertebrae of your spine. A traumatic force, such as a fall, can compress the discs and make them tear. A herniated disc happens when the inner gel protrudes through that tear. You experience a bulging disc when the disc flattens and spreads.

Both injuries cause back pain because the disc compromises the spine’s ability to carry your weight. A disc injury can also produce nerve pain as the deformed disc presses on nerve roots branching from your spinal cord. When you suffer this kind of harm, you could experience pain and weakness that radiates into your legs or arms.

Concussion

When you fall, you can strike your head on the ground. Even if you avoid bumping your head, your brain may still experience a jolt from your fall. In both cases, victims can get a concussion that produces physical and cognitive symptoms such as a headache, blurry vision, and confusion.

Recovering From Slip and Fall Injuries

Slip and fall accidents can cause significant physical trauma and financial hardships. At Shrader, Mendez & O’Connell, we have decades of experience representing accident victims in premises liability cases. Contact us at 813-360-1529 to learn how we can help you.