Many people act as though slip-and-falls aren’t a serious safety concern. Perhaps they have fallen a few times without injury. The representation of slip-and-falls as visual gags in modern media may contribute to people downplaying a slip-and-fall incident.
Some people do acknowledge that a slip-and-fall could cause serious injury, but they may only consider the risk of a broken bone. If they can still support their weight on both their arms and walk away from where they fell, they may assume they don’t have any serious injuries.
It might be several days later before they realize that they require medical attention and may need to pursue a premises liability claim related to the slip-and-fall incident. One of the worst injuries possible in a same-level fall is easy to overlook immediately after getting hurt.
Brain injuries have delayed symptom onset
When people fall, they can hit their heads. They might strike their head on the wall, the floor or nearby furniture. Store fixtures, like shelves, can also be a safety hazard in a slip-and-fall scenario. The blunt force trauma that results from a blow to the head while falling can be enough to cause a moderate to severe traumatic brain injury (TBI).
The person who falls may experience bleeding and swelling inside the skull. The injury itself may worsen as the bleeding and swelling progress. The symptoms may slowly worsen or change as well. Between the body’s reaction to a frightening situation and the slow development of symptoms, people can completely overlook a TBI after they fall and hit their head in a public space.
To protect against the worst-case scenario, those who have a slip-and-fall generally need to report the fall at the store before leaving. They may need to document the scene where they fell if there are obstacles or issues with the floor that caused them to slip and fall.
They may also need to see a medical professional to rule out the possibility of a serious brain injury. If a doctor does diagnose them with a TBI, they may have grounds for a premises liability insurance claim or a personal injury lawsuit. The proceeds from their claim can help to cover their medical treatment and also any wages they could not earn because of their injuries.
Realizing how easy it is to overlook slip-and-fall injuries can help people take the right steps if they ever do fall and get hurt. Many slip-and-falls only result in minor injuries, but the possibility of severe injury makes filing a report and seeking medical attention worthwhile undertakings.