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Any Halifax personal injury lawyer knows that accidents involving slipping and falling can happen anytime, anywhere. A small slip may not seem like a genuine danger, but it can result in severe traumas like brain injury or spinal cord damage.
Slip and fall incidents may result in long-term impairment. In addition, rehabilitation-related expenses might soon become a significant financial burden.
If you were injured in a slip-and-fall accident, consulting with a personal injury lawyer is necessary to ensure the person who was at fault compensates you for your lost wages, pain and suffering.
Common Causes of Personal Injury Accidents
Wet or Slippery Floors
Wet or slippery flooring is one of the most frequent hazards in slip and fall incidents, which are one of the leading causes of injuries at home. There are several different ways that water ends up on the floor, including spills, leaks, condensation, and tracked-in rain or snow.
Floor surfaces may also become slippery when cleaned with waxes or polishes accumulated over time. Floor surfaces can also become slippery if waxed or mopped but need more time to dry completely. Remember that it only takes a little water or moisture to make flooring slippery and hazardous.
Unstable or Uneven Surfaces
Uneven brick or concrete surfaces, cracked tiles, or equal holes are common tripping hazards. These are among the main reasons for slip and fall incidents. Anything from a wrinkled carpet to a loose tile can fall under this category. Even a small change in height can cause someone to trip. Businesses must make sure their customers’ walkways are safe and secure.
Cluttered, Disorderly, or Poorly Lit Walkways and Hallways
Slip and fall accidents may occur in a hallway or walkway that is messy, disorganized, or dimly lit. A cluttered walkway may contain obstructions that could lead to trips and falls. A disorganized pathway may have hidden impediments, and a poorly illuminated walkway may make it challenging to see where you’re going. All these accidents can be avoided by maintaining clean, clear, and well-lit sidewalks and halls.
Hazardous Ramps and Stairs
While slip and fall accidents can occur everywhere, they are more likely to happen in locations with hazardous ramps and stairs. Although staircases ought to be made with safety in mind, this is frequently not the case. Ramps can also be dangerous, particularly if they are not kept up. In addition, a tripping danger can be created if stairs and ramps are not properly maintained, such as by having cracked or loose boards.
Different Types of Injuries Caused by Personal Accidents:
As 1,008 Nova Scotians were seriously hurt after slipping and falling at work last year, they needed time off to recuperate. As a result, slips, trips, and falls were the second most frequent injury incident in 2020. Each slip, trip, and fall injury results in 85 days out from work on average.
A significant slip-and-fall accident injury usually necessitates substantial medical attention and physical therapy to recover from. In the worst-case situation, a fall victim might pass away or become crippled and need round-the-clock care.
The elderly are more vulnerable to slip-and-fall injuries. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), falls are the top cause of fatal and nonfatal injuries among older individuals. In addition, between 50 and 75 percent of nursing home residents fall annually, twice as frequently as older persons living at home, making falls another prevalent concern.
What kinds of slips and falls happen the most frequently?
They might be minor, serious, or even fatal. Below, we’ll look at a couple of them:
Broken Bones
Broken bones occur from when a bone is subjected to more force than it can handle. For example, a fall frequently causes a stressing force to be applied to the bones throughout the body. As a result, hip, wrist, and ankle fractures are some of the most frequent forms of broken bones in slip and fall accidents.
As you get older, it becomes more likely that you will break a bone if you fall. However, even if you are more likely to get hurt because of your age, it does not mean that you can’t get compensation if someone else’s carelessness causes you to get hurt. No matter what your age or condition was at the time of the accident, you still have a right to be compensated for your injuries. A personal injury claim lawyer can help you through the process.
Soft Tissue Injuries
You might not even be aware that you have a soft tissue injury until days or weeks after the first accident because soft tissue injuries aren’t immediately apparent. Minor ankle and wrist sprains and severe tears in tendons and ligaments are just two examples of soft tissue injuries.
Soft tissue injuries may result in persistent discomfort and increase your risk of suffering additional injuries if neglected. After a slip and fall mishap, even if you feel good, it’s still crucial to contact a doctor because soft tissue injuries frequently don’t have obvious signs right away.
Traumatic Brain Injuries (TBIs)
TBIs occur when a person falls and impacts their head on the ground, another object, or a surface. Minor concussions, bumps, and bruises are minor TBIs, while skull fractures, hematomas, and subarachnoid hemorrhages are examples of more serious TBIs. Because severe TBIs can affect brain function, result in seizures, and impair one’s ability to regulate their body, they can significantly impact a person’s quality of life.
Hip Fractures
The CDC estimates that falls cause more than 95% of broken hips. For senior patients with hip fractures, surgery and a week or so in the hospital are usually followed by admission to a nursing home for intensive rehabilitation.
Sprained Ankles or Wrists
You can be forced to take an irregular or uneven step due to a slip-and-fall incident. People frequently extend their arms in front of them to soften the impact of falling. You are likely to sustain a sprain or a strain if the ligaments in your wrist or ankle are torn during a fall. Additionally, sprains and strains can take a very long time to heal since ligaments don’t receive a lot of blood.
Even though it might not appear to be a severe injury, an ankle or wrist injury can significantly affect your life. You can’t cook, type, or button a shirt. You could be unable to walk if you have an ankle sprain. Sprains are frequent after a slip and fall and can negatively impact the patient’s quality of life.
Cuts and Abrasions
Although cuts and abrasions from slips and falls can appear severe, they frequently result in less severe injuries than other types of slips and falls. However, abrasions to the arm, legs, and hips are frequent, as are head and leg wounds.
Most of the time, these wounds merely need bandages and sometimes some sutures. Cuts and abrasions may be covered by more serious wounds, such as concussions and broken bones, if the fall’s force is great enough.
Back and Spinal Cord Injuries
A slip-and-fall accident’s impact on the body might break vertebrae or result in slipped or herniated discs, which are extremely painful and restrict mobility. In addition, a spinal cord injury can result in death, transient paralysis, temporary paralysis, other neurologic and sensory deficits, and permanent paralysis. Most spinal cord injuries among persons 65 and older account for more than a quarter of all spinal cord injuries.
Shoulder Or Neck Injury
You can get shoulder and neck injuries when you fall and land on your shoulder or neck. They may also result from straining too hard to catch yourself after falling. Spinal damage, paralysis, and muscular sprains are all possible neck ailments. The most common shoulder injuries from falls are shoulder dislocations, torn nerves, or collarbone fractures. Even the most minor neck and shoulder wounds are excruciatingly painful and frequently call for surgery.
Knee Damage
A slip and fall might cause knee injuries if you twist as you go down. It can take a long time for your MCL or ACL to repair since your knees are a complex collection of bones and ligaments. You might dislocate your patella in addition to tearing ligaments, and you might need knee repair right away or down the road.
Benefits of Hiring Halifax Personal Injury Lawyers
Legal Counsel
Accidents happen, but you must know your legal rights if they result in injuries. That’s where our slip-and-fall accident lawyers can assist you. First, our lawyer can give you detailed legal advice and explain your options. Then, we recommend what you should do to obtain justice and compensation.
Establishing Negligence
One of the trickiest aspects of a slip-and-fall claim is proving the property owner, company, or governmental body responsible for the premises where your injury occurred was negligent. First, you must provide sufficient evidence to prove who is at fault. Our attorney can assist you in analyzing your accident and compiling the proof required to establish the property owner’s fault.
Assessing Damages
Proving your damages is crucial in holding a careless property owner accountable. If you want to get compensated, this is essential. Unfortunately, if you lack legal experience, accurately evaluating your current and prospective future damages can be challenging. However, your past, current, and anticipated future damages can all be assessed and calculated by our attorney. We will work to shield you from any losses brought on by someone else’s carelessness.
Negotiating a Settlement
An out-of-court settlement might occasionally be advantageous for the plaintiff. But you could end up out of money in the long run if you don’t know how to negotiate and aren’t sure how bad your damages are. You can receive a payment from an insurance company that you subsequently find only partially compensates you for your losses. You won’t be able to file a lawsuit later if you accept a settlement, though. Our lawyer can represent you in discussions with an insurance provider and will make sure that any settlement proposals you receive are appropriate for your needs.
Legal Representation In Court
Going alone without legal representation could result in civil plaintiffs losing what would have been a winning case, not making it through the procedure, or having their case dismissed. Our attorney will handle all the legal nuances of filing your case, ensuring that you meet all deadlines and that all your paperwork is in order. They can also do an excellent job of representing you in court.
Although you don’t necessarily need an attorney for a slip and fall incident, having qualified legal advice and representation can be beneficial when trying to recover damages from a negligent property owner.
Need a Slip and Fall Accident Lawyer? Halifax & Nova Scotia Personal Injury Lawyers Got Your back!
If you have been injured in a slip-and-fall accident, you may wonder if you need a lawyer. The answer depends on several factors, including the extent of your injuries and the liable party. Our slip-and-fall accident lawyers can help to investigate your accident and determine who is at fault. We can also help to negotiate with insurance companies and file a personal injury claim on your behalf. In some cases, you can settle your case without going to court.
If your case goes to trial, our attorneys will be able to represent you in court and fight for the compensation you deserve. Whether you need a lawyer ultimately depends on the facts of your case.
If you have been injured in a slip and fall accident, contact a personal injury lawyer in Halifax or Nova Scotia today to discuss your options.
Frequently Asked Question
- Search online for lawyers who specialize in personal injury law near Halifax, Canada.
- Seek recommendations from friends, family, or other legal professionals.
- Contact the Nova Scotia Barristers’ Society for a list of licensed attorneys in the area.
- Read reviews, look into the attorney’s credentials and experience, and set up a consultation to ensure you find the right attorney for your particular case.
Halifax & Nova Scotia Personal Injury Lawyers is a great recommendation because we are one of the dependable choices in the area of personal injury law.
