Many kinds of businesses are open to the public. Whether you need to drop your dog off for a grooming session or pick up steaks at the butcher shop, you should be able to safely use facilities intended for public access.
Unfortunately, businesses sometimes fail to maintain their premises properly. Inadequate cleaning, poor structural maintenance and delayed repairs could lead to accumulated fluids on the floors or damaged linoleum that result in someone suffering a slip-and-fall.
When people slip and fall in public places, they can suffer serious injuries. What kind of slip-and-fall injuries could be a serious concern for the visitors at a business?
A traumatic brain injury
The worst-case scenario when someone falls at the same level in a slip-and-fall is that they hit their head on the floor or an object near them when they fall. The faster someone’s descent when they strike their head, the greater the possibility that they will suffer lasting consequences.
Traumatic brain injuries can cause permanent symptoms that range from issues with memory and balance to permanent shifts in personality. Brain injuries can require expensive medical care and may also affect someone’s earning potential in the future.
A broken bone
It is instinctive for people to try to stop themselves from falling when they slip or lose their balance. When you reach out to catch yourself, the force of your fall could easily break a bone in your hand or arm.
People who strike furniture or shopping carts might also break a leg or a bone in their foot when they fall. Those over the age of 65 are at increased risk of breaking other bones, like hips or collar bones, when they fall. Broken bones can mean thousands of dollars in medical care and weeks off of work.
In scenarios where the person who falls can show that the business’s poor maintenance caused their injuries, they may be in a position to file a premises liability insurance claim. In scenarios with severe injuries or inadequate insurance, a promises liability lawsuit could also be an option. Identifying when a business may have played a role in a serious injury you suffered when falling can help you get the financial support you require because of a slip-and-fall incident.