The most serious consequences of a fall are severe injuries, the risk of fall-related anxiety, and financial instability due to medical bills and lost wages.
While falls can sometimes be minor, only resulting in bruises or scrapes, if you are older, take certain kinds of medication, or have preexisting health conditions, falling can alter your life.
Severe Injuries
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 20% of falls will cause a serious injury. Some of the severe injuries falls can cause include:
- Broken arm
- Broken leg
- Broken wrist
- Broken ankle
- Broken hip
- Concussion
- Traumatic brain injury
Severe injuries are not only a serious consequence because of the pain they cause, but also because of how they affect your life. For example, if you suffered brain damage from a fall, that could affect your sleep, work, relationships, and basically every area of your life.
It might also take significant and extensive rehabilitative care for you to recover as fully as possible. According to the National Institute on Aging (NIA), a fall could lead to further medical complications and disability for elderly adults.
Fall-Related Anxiety
According to the CDC, falling can not only cause injuries, but it can also cause fall-related anxiety. This is when a person fears falling so much that they limit their mobility. This might eliminate activities that the person used to enjoy, like running, swimming, or playing a sport. People might also neglect their basic hygiene and health or socially isolate.
However, anxiety can also affect people in more significant ways—they might suffer from panic episodes or need to be on medication. According to the U.S. National Library of Medicine’s database for clinical trials, people with fall-related mobility might have to go through treatment, such as cognitive-behavioral therapy.
This is an intensive psychological therapy for people with post-traumatic stress disorder that teaches them how to handle your anxiety and introduce rational and healthy thoughts.
As with any form of medical care, counseling, and medication can be expensive if the person does not have insurance.
Financial Instability
While financial security might be a second thought after safety, it can be one of the most serious consequences of a fall. For someone with severe injuries, fall-related anxiety, or both, the expenses of medical and psychological therapy can add up.
They might also be missing work while you are recovering. That means they have bills stacking up while having limited income, which can only add to the stress they are feeling. If they suffered a permanent disability, then they might not be able to go back to their chosen field, which means they might be making less (or no) money in the future.
Getting Justice for a Fall That Was Not Your Fault
If you fell due to a hazard on someone else’s property, such as a wet floor, torn carpet, or loose flooring, you might be entitled to compensation to cover expenses related to your injuries. You can either sue the property owner or file a claim with their insurance company.
You might be entitled to compensation for losses, such as:
- Past and future medical bills
- Past and future lost wages
- Lost earning potential
- Prescription medication costs
- Cost of psychological treatment
- Pain and suffering
- Mental anguish
- Loss of enjoyment of life
- Disability and disfigurement
You might also be entitled to compensation for the funeral and burial expenses if your loved one died from a fall due to a hazard on someone else’s property.
Consult a Lawyer from Ben Crump Law, PLLC
A slip and fall lawyer from Ben Crump Law, PLLC might be able to help you with your premises liability claim. If you are suffering from serious injuries, anxiety, and financial instability because of someone else’s negligence, you should not have to suffer further. A lawsuit like this is supposed to ensure you do not struggle more under the pressure of medical bills and other costs.
You do not have to go through this difficult time alone when help is available to you. We can investigate your case to determine the property owner’s negligence, negotiate with insurance companies and the negligent party, and help you win a settlement in your favor. If we cannot settle outside of court, we might suggest taking your case to trial.
We also work on contingency, so you do not have to worry about any payment. We only take our attorney’s fees and administrative costs from the settlement we win you. Call a member of our team today to see how a slip and fall lawyer from Ben Crump Law, PLLC can help you. Reach out at 800-959-1444 for a free, no-obligation consultation.
