Slip and fall accidents are more common than they should be, but not all of them lead to serious injuries. However, depending on the surface where th
Slip and fall accidents are more common than they should be, but not all of them lead to serious injuries. However, depending on the surface where the person fell, the height from which they took the fall, and their age/medical condition, slipping and falling can lead to very severe injuries, including deadly ones.
The most common serious injury reported by doctors is a fractured or broken hip in slip and fall cases. This is due to the fact that the posterior pelvic region is naturally the most vulnerable section of the human body if someone falls backward after slipping on something.
Detecting a Broken Hip Bone
It should be the job of your physician to identify a broken hip, and then to confirm the same with supportive MRI scans and X-ray results. However, not every slip and fall hip bone damage is immediately debilitating for the injured person, especially if it is a crack rather than a break. In such cases, look out for signs of:
- Immediately decreased mobility near the hip region.
- Immediate, continuous, and increasing pain.
- Sharp pain on putting bodyweight on one or the other leg.
- Gradually increasing stiffness and swelling
- Deep red bruises on the hip and the surrounding area.
In extreme cases, where the bone has shattered and broken, the person will not be able to get up and experience intolerable pain. They may also lose consciousness.
Don’t Move After Suffering from a Slip and Fall Injury
Call for help if you cannot get up – and even if you can get up. Medical action must be taken immediately after the fall and the patient is not to be moved until the paramedics get there. If the injury did not seem severe at the time, but seems to be getting worse, consult your physician immediately and get checked for fractured bones in the hip region.
What Can You Do?
Once you are in the hands of a medical team, there is not much you can do, except cooperate with medical professionals. However, there is something you can do to make sure that justice is not denied to you. If the slip and fall accident happened because of neglect at work, in a mall, or in any other public/private place, you may have the right to claim compensation for all your medical bills and missed wages. Consult with the experienced personal injury attorneys at Horst Shewmaker to know what your next legal step should be.
Thankfully, most slip and fall injuries, including broken hips, can be fixed with surgery nowadays, and it does not take much time for the hospital to release patients after the initial recuperation period. However, the rehabilitation/recovery might take months or more if the injury was severe and the victim is aged or has osteoporosis. The long road to recovery will involve physiotherapy, regular exercise (as indicated by a physiotherapist), frequent checkups, and the use of necessary medication, as and when deemed necessary by the physician in charge.
To make sure that you are not left in permanent debt without a source of viable income, filing that lawsuit is more important than most slip and fall victims realize in time.
