Can You Pursue Legal Action After a Slip And Fall Injury?

There are many ways a person can sustain a spinal cord injury. While automobile accidents are the most common way a person is injured, there is a growing number of injuries happening in a way that may surprise you–by falling. Slip and fall injuries account for more spinal cord injuries than most realize. They account for 31% of spinal cord injuries.

There are a significant number of people living with spinal cord injuries in the United States. While the number fluctuates, it’s somewhere around 300,000; this number only grows each year. If you sustain a spinal cord injury because of a slip and fall, you may wonder if you can hold a person, business or entity responsible for your injuries. As we have shared before, spinal cord injuries can be expensive, lifelong injuries.

Determining if you have a case is not a simple answer. There are a variety of circumstances in each individual slip and fall case that must be investigated. That is why consulting with an experienced spinal cord injury lawyer is in your best interest. Before you do so, here are important facts on slip and fall injuries such as their causes, costs, and how to figure out if someone may be held accountable for your injury.

How Slip and Fall Injuries Occur

Slip and fall injuries are on the rise. They have increased by nearly 12% in a 40-year span. As the population of Americans age, there have been more occurrences of slip and fall injuries related to showers and uneven surfaces. Falling from a roof or ladder attributes to spinal cord injuries in the work setting. While there are several common ways people injure their spinal cords in a slip and fall injury, here are the four most common slip and fall injuries discovered after researching SCI injuries between 2005 – 2014 (The Journal of Spinal Cord Medicine).

– 20% fell on the same level;
– 16% fell from a building;
– 16% fell down stairs and steps; and
– 9% fell off a ladder.

What Causes Slip and Falls?

It’s also important to look at the secondary causes – why did someone fall on the same level, for example? Here is a list of common circumstances that cause a spinal cord injury:

– Workplace slip and fall injury due to lack of upkeep and/or maintenance;
– Slip and fall injuries due to wet surfaces;
– Poor lighting in public/workplace venues (movie theaters, stadiums);
– Debris on a floor surface; and
– Uneven flooring/loose carpeting.

What Kind of Injuries Occur in a Slip and Fall?

When a slip and fall does occur, several kinds of injuries can happen as a result. While a spinal cord injury accounts for one of the most common injuries sustained in a slip and fall incident, there are several other injuries that can happen. They are:

– Broken bones;
– Abrasions/torn skin;
– Head injury; and/or
– Soft tissue damage.

Do You Have a Slip and Fall Case?

When you experience a slip and fall injury, it is important to speak with an attorney to determine if a person, business or entity may be held liable for your injuries. That means that depending on how your slip and fall injury occurred, another party may have caused or contributed to how you sustained a spinal cord injury or other serious injuries. While some injuries may have happened in a way that there is no other responsible party, for many other injuries there is a responsible party. For example, if a person fell off the deck at a friend’s house, there may be a homeowner’s insurance policy that could provide financial recovery for the injured. If a person slipped on a wet surface at a grocery store and became injured, the business may be held liable for the injuries based on why and how the wet floor existed. Every case is different, and it is important for you to discuss the specifics of your case with an experienced spinal cord injury lawyer to determine if you have a case.

With slip and fall injuries on the rise, we expect the legal world to change and progress surrounding these types of injuries. An experienced spinal cord injury lawyer will be able to discuss your legal options based on the facts of your injury. Don’t assume that you have no legal options for your injury if it was a result of a slip and fall accident until you seek the opinion of a qualified spinal cord injury lawyer.

For a free consultation about your slip and fall injury, fill out the form below and you will be connected with a qualified spinal cord injury lawyer to discuss the specifics of your case.