You can slip when you lose your balance, stumble when you catch your foot with something or in it, and fall when you fall suddenly. Spills, ice, snow, rain, loose floor mats, rugs, and ladders are some of the common causes of slips, trips and falls. In addition, poor lighting and clutter can cause injuries such as sprains, strains, bruises, bumps, fractures, scratches and cuts. Traumatic brain injuries, or TBI, can occur if a person hits their head against the ground or against an object when they fall after suffering a slip or a trip and fall accident.
Traumatic brain injuries can range from mild concussions to skull fractures, bruises, or even cause a coma. More serious injuries can leave a person with permanent physical and cognitive limitations. A hip or pelvic fracture is a common injury suffered by older people who suffer from a fall, although younger victims of falls can also suffer pelvic fractures. A hip fracture often requires surgical repair, followed by an extended period of recovery and physical rehabilitation.
In many cases, a person who suffers a hip fracture may experience a permanent loss of some degree of mobility. In slip and fall accidents, hip, wrist and ankle fractures are some of the most common types of bone fractures. While some soft tissue injuries heal on their own and may only need rest or physical therapy, more serious damage may require surgical repair. Traumatic brain injuries can range from minor injuries, such as minor concussions, bumps and bruises, to serious injuries, such as skull fractures, bruises, and subarachnoid hemorrhages.
Soft tissue injuries can range from minor ankle and wrist sprains to devastating tendon and ligament tears. Falls are also a common hazard in nursing homes, where half to three-quarters of residents fall each year. The most common injuries caused by these types of accidents, as expected, are fractures and dislocated joints. Among older adults, falls are the leading cause of fatal and non-fatal injuries, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Recovering from a serious injury suffered in a slip and fall accident generally requires extensive medical care and physical rehabilitation. Victims of slips or trips and falls can injure their neck, shoulders, and upper back when those parts of the body hit an object or the floor during a fall. Soft-tissue injuries from slips and falls or trip and fall accidents can include sprains and torn ligaments or muscle and tendon strains and tears. Sprains are a common problem after a slip and fall and can affect the quality of life for victims.
However, it's important to remember that compensation isn't automatic and that not all workplace injuries are the employer's fault. See this industry profile for the latest data on workplace injuries and deaths by occupation. However, you may not know that, in recent years, the most common cause of non-fatal workplace injuries, accounting for nearly a third, are slips, trips and falls. If left untreated, soft tissue injuries can cause chronic pain and can also make you more vulnerable to later injuries.
