A slip and fall may cause far more than just bruises and embarrassment. Falling may cause traumatic brain injury.
We’ve likely all done this: slipped on something and taken what we laughingly refer to as a “prat fall.” We may have gotten up off the floor and been just fine, aside from bruised ego and some cuts and scrapes. Not everyone is that lucky though. Some slip and fall accidents end up with serious consequences, such as traumatic brain injury.
Consider the case of the woman shopping at her local grocery store where they had a garden section just outside the main doors. She wanted some flowers for her garden and as she was walking along one of the outside aisles, covered with linoleum, she slipped in an unseen puddle, fell and struck her head on the floor. The floor under the linoleum is concrete. She was knocked unconscious and by the time she came to in the hospital, she was told she had a serious concussion.
Where do things go from here? Generally speaking, she may be able to battle her way through her injury and come out the other side still mostly functioning well enough to live her life. On the other end of the spectrum, she may not be able to live the life she had prior to her fall because her brain doesn’t function like it used to anymore. Does she get damages from the store for leaving the water on a linoleum floor and not cleaning it up? Chances are she does, and they may be substantial, depending on the extent of her injuries.
It’s not “just” that the store left the puddle in the middle of the floor and it caused an accident that is at issue here. The main point is that the store, being a property owner, is responsible for keeping their premises safe for those who do business there. In other words they are responsible for making sure people “do not” fall and injure themselves.
The thing to remember when it comes to slip and falls is that embarrassment isn’t the only injury that may hurt. There may be bumps, bruises, concussion, coma, broken bones, ripped muscles, sprained joints, internal injuries and in some cases, death. Any one of these injuries can take a long time to recover from and cost thousands in medical expenses; expenses which may include not just the doctor’s bills and medications, but ongoing therapy, tests, surgery and rehabilitation. Sadly, some of the injuries, while treatable to a certain extent, may not be curable, meaning the person is facing a long-term disability for life.
If you’ve slipped and fallen in a public place and are struggling with injuries, speak to a personal injury lawyer about what your options are in recovering compensation for your medical costs and pain and suffering.
Tim Anderson writes for Atlanta Personal Injury attorney, Stephen M. Ozcomert. The firm specializes in personal injury, malpractice, motorcycle accidents, and wrongful death. To learn more about Atlanta personal injury lawyer, Stephen M. Ozcomert, visit Ozcomert.com.