Embarrassment may be the least of your worries after a fall

Falling, especially in public, is often considered an embarrassing event. Unfortunately, many public places have serious hazards that could put you and other visitors at risk of tripping, slipping or otherwise falling. In many cases, embarrassment may be the least of the resulting troubles as a fall could lead to serious injuries.

If you fall due to a hazard on another person’s property, whether it belongs to a homeowner or business owner, you could suffer serious and lasting effects from the ordeal. Even if the harm does not present itself immediately, you could end up having to contend with the effects for a considerable amount of time.

Injuries resulting from falls

The exact injuries that can result from a fall can depend on various circumstances, such as the height from which you fell, the surface you landed on, how your body landed, the cause of the fall and much more. Some common injuries that result from fall incidents include the following:

• Broken bones: It is common for people to break bones during a fall as their full body weight lands on a hard surface or as they instinctively reach out to catch themselves and land awkwardly.
• Strains and sprains: Again, on instinct, your body may twist or move is a sudden way in an attempt to avoid a fall once you slip or trip, but this jarring movement could cause sprains or strains.
• Chest and organ damage: If you fall and your chest takes most of the force, you could suffer broken ribs, damage to your airway, pulmonary bruising, damage to your diaphragm and much more.
• Spinal injury: Landing on your back or in a way that jars your back is another possibility from a fall, and doing so could result in ruptured discs, spinal fractures, dislocated vertebrae, spinal cord damage or cracked vertebrae.
• Traumatic brain injuries: Hitting your head as the result of a fall is a major concern. You could experience a traumatic brain injury or skull fracture that has substantial effects on your life for a lasting period of time.

Though embarrassment can certainly stem from a slip and fall or trip and fall accident, severe pain and lasting consequences from injuries can as well. If you suffered harm as the result of a fall on someone else’s property due to a hazardous condition, you may want to consider your legal options. You may have reason to file a premises liability claim in order to seek compensation for medical bills, pain and suffering, and other damages permitted under Florida state law.