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10 Common Slip and Fall Injuries in Bloomington
The most common slip-and-fall injuries in Bloomington, Illinois, include soft tissue damage, broken bones and fractures, traumatic brain injuries, and spinal cord injuries. Slip and fall accidents happen virtually anywhere, including public or private spaces. They occur due to bad weather, poor lighting, and negligence of the property owner, property manager, or business owner. Taking the appropriate steps after a fall incident caused by someone else’s negligence can help safeguard your right to compensation. These steps include seeking medical attention, reporting the accident, and documenting the scene of the fall incident.
What Is a Slip and Fall Injury?
A slip-and-fall injury happens when you lose your footing and fall while walking on someone else’s property. It can result from losing traction, tripping, or anything else.
Negligence by property owners contributes to a huge chunk of slip and fall accidents. You can file a personal injury claim or lawsuit if the property owner’s negligence caused the slip and fall accident that led to your injury. Doing that will help you get compensated for the expenses and other losses arising from your injury.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, about 3 million older people get treated for fall injuries yearly in the U.S. Research also indicates that falls are the most common cause of brain injuries.
Property owners must keep their properties reasonably safe at all times. You have a right to seek compensation from a property owner or any other liable party if you get injured in a slip-and-fall accident that results from poor lighting, slippery walkways, or poor maintenance.
The Most Common Slip and Fall Injuries in Bloomington
Slip and fall injuries account for a large percentage of personal injuries. The most common slip and fall injuries in Bloomington, Illinois, include:
Broken Bones and Fractures
Various bones can break if you slip and fall on the ground or any other hard surface. You can have a broken wrist or ankle and other body parts. Such injuries take time to heal and usually require more medical care. The treatment options range from medical treatment to rehabilitation to physical therapy.
Spinal Cord Injuries
Spinal cord injuries can have significant impacts on a person’s life. A serious impact on a person’s spinal cord affects the cells and nerves. If you suffer such an injury, the brain will have difficulty sending signals to the rest of your body. This might lead to losing certain senses, and the treatment can be expensive.
Soft Tissue Injuries
Injuring your muscles, ligaments, or tendons is common in a slip-and-fall accident. Such injuries can cause swells, bruises, strains, sprains, contusions, and tendinitis. Soft-tissue injuries vary by severity. Some heal faster, while others take more time to heal.
Traumatic Brain Injuries
A simple slip-and-fall accident can lead to a lifelong traumatic brain injury. The symptoms that people with traumatic brain injury develop include memory loss, blurry vision, confusion, and lack of concentration.
Knee Injuries
Slip and fall accidents can cause knees to twist, pop, or break. Knee injuries are usually painful and require a comprehensive treatment plan that includes physical therapy and multiple surgeries. If the damage is severe, the knee injury from a slip and fall accident can cause lifelong pain and suffering.
Dislocations
This common type of slip-and-fall injury can lead to severe pain. A dislocation typically happens when trying to break your fall. Besides the pain, a dislocation can cause many complications, like tears and sprains on soft tissues. Dislocation treatment includes surgery and other therapy procedures.
Muscle Strains and Pulls
Muscle strains and pulls are other common slip and fall injuries. These injuries happen when tissues that connect muscles and bones stretch rapidly. This often leads to immense pain, and it takes weeks to walk properly, lift loads, or even bend.
Concussions
You might develop concussions if you slip and fall and hit your head on a hard surface. This type of injury can cause headaches, nausea, ringing in the head, and dizziness. In more severe cases, the accident victim might lose consciousness and can stay in a coma for hours or days.
Cuts and Lacerations
A slip-and-fall accident can become worse if you land on debris. Falling on broken glass or a piece of sharp metal can cause deep cuts. Treatment of such an injury involves stitching and regular wound treatment. However, severe cases leave permanent scars or damage the underlying soft tissues.
Back Injuries
You might lose balance after a trip or a slip. If this happens and you land on your back, you might sustain a severe back injury. The injury might lead to severe body pain and reduce the quality of life. It can also affect your ability to do the simplest things, like sitting.
What Are the Causes of Slip and Fall Accidents?
Various factors can lead to slip and fall accidents. It can be tricky to avoid such accidents if you do not know the hazards to look out for on a property. The common causes of slip and fall accidents include:
Bad Weather
Winter is the season when most slip-and-fall accidents occur. The winter weather can cause frost ice to cover surfaces such as walkways. This can expose workers and visitors at a property to a high risk of slipping and falling. Premises owners must ensure walkways are clear and safer for everyone.
Poor Lighting
Poor outdoor lighting can also expose people to falls when walking at night. Poorly lit spaces on a property are a hazard every owner should avoid. Darkness makes it trickier to break a fall, and that causes even more damage. Property owners can prevent such accidents by investing in outdoor lighting.
Negligence by Property Owners
A negligent property owner can expose you to a slip and fall injury. Property owners owe workers and visitors a duty of care. They must shovel their walkways, light them, and provide signs to show slippery surfaces. Otherwise, you are entitled to compensation if you sustain an injury in a slip and fall accident resulting from a property owner’s negligence.
A Bloomington personal injury lawyer can analyze the specifics and circumstances of your slip and fall to determine if you have strong grounds for an injury lawsuit. If so, the lawyer will perform further investigations and collect the evidence required to prove the property owner’s liability.
The lawyer will then discuss your options for recovering compensation from the liable party (or parties). These options include filing a claim with the liable party’s insurance company or starting a personal injury lawsuit against the liable party.
What to Do After a Slip and Fall Injury
Slip and fall injuries come with excruciating pain, especially if they involve broken bones. However, remaining calm amid the pain will help you take the right steps.
Here’s what to do after sustaining a slip and fall injury:
Seek Medical Care
The first step after any accident is to seek treatment. Visiting a doctor as soon as possible can help reduce the pain and prevent further complications. It also allows for documentation of the injuries sustained.
Report the Accident and Document the Scene
If an officer is at the scene, ensure you report the incident. Also, it will help to document the scene so that you have enough evidence for a successful lawsuit.
Hire a Lawyer
Working with an attorney will make it easier to prove liability and get compensated. An experienced attorney will analyze the evidence and ensure you get the right compensation.
Types of Damages for a Slip and Fall Accident in Illinois
Filing a lawsuit after a slip-and-fall accident can help you recover costs. But you will need a skilled attorney to get the best out of your lawsuit.
Here are the damages your lawyer will help you recover:
- The immediate and future medical costs
- Income lost because of the injury
- Physical and emotional pain inflicted by the accident
- Any other costs that may come up
Your compensation after filing a lawsuit depends on how strong your case is. The personal injury lawyer you hire will prepare you with all you should know about such a lawsuit. For instance, he or she will tell you the kind of questions to expect in a slip-and-fall case and how to answer them to benefit your case.
The more prepared you are, the easier to win the lawsuit. That’s why a lawyer is an invaluable resource in this process. But you might wonder, “How much does it cost to hire a Bloomington slip-and-fall lawyer?” Most slip-and-fall lawyers operate on a contingency fee basis. In simple terms, they recover their legal fees from the compensation recovered after winning an injury case.
Your lawyer will not earn anything if you lose the injury case. So, the lawyer will invest time, effort, and necessary financial resources in your case to increase the likelihood of getting a favorable result.
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