Slips and falls due to slippery, cluttered, or dangerous surfaces often lead to serious injuries. While individuals can slip or trip entirely by accident, many slips and falls occur because the owner or manager of a home or business is irresponsible and lets hazards go unnoticed and unaddressed. If you fell while at someone’s home, on private property, or in a business because the area was not properly cleaned and maintained, you may be able to hold the owner responsible for your injuries.
After suffering an injury due to a slip and fall, contact the Houston slip and fall attorneys of The Krist Law Firm, P.C. We can investigate your situation and determine your legal rights.
Call us today at (281) 283-8500.
Common Slip and Fall Injuries
A fall can lead to a number of different injuries that range in severity. However, some of the most common injuries resulting from slips and falls include:
- Broken bones: When people fall, they often try to catch themselves, land on objects, or fall down a significant height. It is very common for all of these factors to lead to broken bones, including fractured wrists, arms, and legs. Some individuals suffer clean fractures that take a few weeks to heal. However, falls commonly lead to serious fractures that require surgery, months to heal, and physical therapy.
- Dislocated shoulders: People often fall awkwardly on their hands and arms, which exerts an unusual and dangerous force onto their shoulders. This can cause dislocated shoulders or injuries to the nerves within the shoulder. Dislocated shoulders can often be treated without surgery. However, dislocations and other shoulder injuries may require surgery, pain management, and physical rehabilitation.
- Sprains: A sprain is an overly stretched or turned ligament. It is common for someone who falls to sprain their wrist or ankle. If it is a minor strain, the person may need minimal pain management and rest. However, torn ligaments may need to be corrected with surgery. This can lead to a greater amount of pain and require physical therapy to heal properly.
- Hip fractures: When individuals are young and healthy, it is rare for them to break a hip or the pelvic bone when they fall. However, this is a significant risk for elderly people. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), more than 300,000 individuals aged 65 and older are hospitalized for hip fractures every year. More than 95 percent of these injuries are due to falling. Elderly women, in particularly, are more likely to fall, have osteoporosis, and fracture a hip.
- Spinal cord injuries: The human spine is sturdy, but can also be delicate. While it can sustain a great deal of exercise, movement, and weight, there are limits to its strength. The spine is one of the most common areas of the body to be injured during a serious fall. These injuries can include fractured vertebrae, slipped discs, herniated discs, and partially or fully severed spinal cords. When the spinal cord is injured, it can lead to nerve damage, paralysis, and other neurological issues. Spinal cord injuries occur to people of all ages, but falls are a significant factor in spinal cord injuries in elderly people.
- Traumatic brain injuries (TBI): Whether individuals’ heads collide with an object or the ground when they fall, a blow to the skull can lead to a concussion or a more serious TBI. Concussions are often treated as less-than-serious. However, concussions can take weeks or months to heal and can result in long-term health issues like headaches and sensitivity to various stimuli. If an individual falls from a significant height or hits a sharp object that can pierce the skull, they are likely to suffer a severe TBI, which can lead to coma, cognitive and physical disabilities, personality changes, and death.
Contact Our Houston Slip and Fall Attorneys
If you slipped or tripped leading to a dangerous fall and injuries, you may be able to recover compensation. When you are hurt at a business or in someone’s home where the area should have been safe, the owner of the premises may be liable for your costs. Through a personal injury claim, you can seek compensation for your medical expenses, physical pain, disability, or disfigurement.
To learn more about your rights and legal options, contact the Houston slip and fall attorneys of The Krist Law Firm, P.C. at (281) 283-8500.