Slipping and falling may seem embarrassing to many people. They worry that people may think they are clumsy or possibly under the influence. Those who fall in public spaces often try to brush themselves off and move on with their day as though nothing actually happened.
However, they may come to regret that reaction if they actually have significant injuries from the incident. A public slip-and-fall sometimes gives injury victims grounds to file a premises liability claim against a business or property owner.
Why might someone need compensation after a slip-and-fall?
A same-level fall can cause serious injuries
Contrary to what people often assume, a same-level fall is not an innately minor incident. Someone who falls can suffer multiple different significant injuries. A soft tissue injury is possible when someone tenses up suddenly to protect themselves when they fall. People could also overextend joints in a slip-and-fall.
Injuries far worse than soft tissue damage are also possible. People can break bones when they fall. Someone might even hit their head and acquire a traumatic brain injury that could put them in the hospital or have a long-term effect on their education, career and income.
Those who fall at businesses may be eligible for specialized insurance coverage that can reimburse them for the cost of their medical care and any wages they lost because of the incident. Such claims often lead to mediation, which in turn can lead to a settlement that helps mitigate someone’s losses.