While not all fall accidents will have severe consequences, some falls could alter the shape of your life forever. Some of the most serious consequences of a fall include severe injury, lost wages, long-term disability, and chronic pain.
For many people, coping with these consequences can be difficult. This is especially true when the injuries resulting from a fall have long-term or even permanent consequences.
Suffering Severe Injuries
Nothing is more important than your health. Unfortunately, many slip and fall accidents can have a detrimental impact on your short- and long-term wellbeing. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), approximately 20 percent of all falls will lead to severe injuries. These injuries could result in hospitalization or even death. Some common injuries include:
- Broken arms or legs
- Internal bleeding
- Concussions and other traumatic brain injuries
- Skull fractures
- Lacerations
- Sprains and strains
- Spinal cord injuries
- Paralysis
Severe injuries are more than just painful. Many of these conditions could impact the quality of your life. If you suffer a disability from your fall injuries, you could no longer be able to go to work, care for yourself, or handle day-to-day tasks you once took for granted.
Sudden Financial Strain
A fall accident could negatively impact your financial situation in a number of ways. The cost of medical treatment can be steep, especially if you were not covered by insurance. Dealing with these unexpected medical bills can become more difficult if you are too hurt to work. Any time away from work while you recover could result in missed paychecks. These issues could compound, leaving you in a dangerous financial position.
A serious injury arising from a fall could also affect your financial position in the future. Even after your injuries heal, you could deal with physical limitations for the rest of your life. Diminished strength or range of motion are only two examples.
When you are facing these long-term health consequences, you might be physically unable to continue with your previous career. This could necessitate that you take on a less strenuous line of work that might also pay less than your previous job.
Living with Chronic Pain
While many injuries heal after a fall, that is not always the case. Chronic pain is not uncommon for individuals involved in a slip and fall accident. This pain could continue even after the rest of your injuries fade.
Chronic pain is especially common among individuals that suffer nerve damage. This type of injury could lead to debilitating pain for months, years, or even the rest of your life. Chronic pain has the potential to impact your employability and limit your enjoyment of life.
Anxiety and Emotional Distress
Not all of the injuries that can result from a slip and fall accident are visible. It is not uncommon for a traumatic injury caused by a slip and fall to result in anxiety or emotional distress.
Anxiety could impact you in many ways. It can impact your ability to enjoy simple things in life like playing sports, traveling on foot, or doing work around your house.
Some people also deal with mental anguish stemming from a severe injury. After their wounds have healed, these individuals relive the trauma of their fall over and over. When this condition becomes serious, it could require counseling or even medical intervention.
Dealing with Property Damage
If you have suffered a fall, it is understandable if your top priority is your physical health. While your personal property takes a backseat to your physical condition, it is worth noting that your valuables could be damaged or destroyed in a fall.
Some items that are commonly damaged in a fall include wristwatches and eyeglasses. If you were carrying something valuable at the time of the accident, that could also become damaged in the fall.
Examples of items you could be carrying include laptop computers or tablets. While the importance of the damage to your personal property pales in comparison to your physical health, it could still represent thousands of dollars in monetary losses.
Work with an Attorney from Our Firm
The good news for fall injury victims is that compensation could be available for all of these consequences. If your fall occurred due to the negligence of the property owner, you could secure a monetary award for your medical bills, pain and suffering, and other damages.
The team at Loncar Lyon Jenkins is prepared to fight for fair compensation on your behalf. If you are considering a personal injury lawsuit after a fall, it is time to call in the Strong Arm. You can get started with your case by calling (877) 239-4878 for your free consultation as soon as possible.
