It’s not uncommon to see a wet floor in a store, restaurant, apartment complex, or another type of building. Slick surfaces can be caused by melting snow, a leaky pipe, cleaning solutions, spilled food and drink, grease, wax, and polish. When you’re injured in a slip and fall on a wet or slippery surface on someone else’s property, you have the right to seek compensation for negligence.
The injury lawyers at Peterson Law Firm have helped many people recover after they were injured in a slip and fall. We understand that you may suffer more than just a bump or bruise and a little embarrassment. Slip and falls can leave victims with serious injuries, and some may be permanent. We also know that it’s critical to get prompt medical attention, even if you don’t think you’re hurt. Knowing the type of injury you sustained and seeing a doctor right away are both crucial elements for a potential injury claim. Here, we discuss common wet floor slip and fall injuries and how to protect your legal rights.
Wet Floors: Possible Injuries When You Slip and Fall
While every slip and fall accident is different, there are common types of injuries that people suffer when they take an unexpected fall on a wet, slippery surface. Some of the most common injuries we see at Peterson Law Firm include the following:
Soft Tissue Injuries
During a slip and fall accident, it’s possible to twist or stretch your body in an unnatural way when you’re trying to break the fall, or you may tense your muscles as you prepare for impact with the ground. This can cause a variety of soft tissue injuries, including the following:
- A sprained wrist or ankle
- A torn ligament
- A pulled muscle
- A tendon strain
It’s possible for a minor soft tissue injury to heal on its own. However, moderate injuries may require physical therapy, and more serious injuries, such as a torn ligament, may need orthopedic surgery.
Broken Bones
When you hit pavement, tile, cement, or any other hard surface due to a wet floor, the impact can cause broken bones. The most common bones affected in this type of slip and fall are the ankles, hips, wrists, and arms. Seniors are especially vulnerable when they fall, as they have decreased bone density, and their bones are more fragile. Some common fractures from slip and fall accidents happen in the following ways:
- Arm and wrist fractures. When a person slips on a wet surface, their natural reflex is to extend their arms to brace themselves for the fall. The force of impact can cause arm, elbow, and wrist fractures. When you fall onto an outstretched arm, it can also result in a broken collarbone.
- Hip fractures. It’s possible that when you slip on a wet surface, you’ll land sideways on your hip or your backside. When you land on your hip, it can cause the femur to fracture at the hip socket. Hip fractures often require surgical repair and extensive rehabilitation.
- Leg and ankle fractures. If you go down hard when you fall, you may twist or turn your leg or ankle in such a way that the force breaks your leg or ankle.
Brain Injuries
Sometimes when you fall on a wet floor, you may suffer a blow to the head. When your head hits the ground or a hard object and your brain is thrust back and forth inside the skull, it can result in a concussion or traumatic brain injury (TBI). It’s important to know that concussion symptoms may start right away, but some may take days or weeks to present.
When you suffer a head injury, you may experience some of the following symptoms:
- A headache or feeling of pressure. A concussion often causes a persistent headache, and the pain often increases with physical activity. You may also feel pressure in your head.
- Confusion. Many concussion victims say they feel "foggy" or have difficulty remembering the accident that led to their injury.
- Sensory changes. Concussions can make a person feel light headed, nauseous, and/or dizzy. A head injury can cause vision issues, such as blurred vision, double vision, or sensitivity to light.
If you suffer a severe TBI due to your fall on a wet surface, you may also experience physical, cognitive, and emotional effects that may require extensive medical intervention and long-term treatment.
Knee Injuries
It’s possible that when you slip on a wet surface, you fall directly on your knees. This can result in the following knee injuries:
- A knee sprain. This occurs when the ligaments that connect the muscle to the knee bone are stretched beyond their normal capacity, causing swelling, pain, and limited range of motion.
- Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury. The ACL is a critical ligament in the knee that connects the femur to the tibia. If the knee is twisted or bent backward during the fall, the ACL may stretch or break. Victims who suffer this type of knee injury often hear a popping sound when their ACL tears.
- Torn meniscus. The meniscus is a stretchy piece of cartilage in the knee joint that provides a cushion between the femur and tibia. Tears to the meniscus can happen if your knee joint twists suddenly when you fall.
Never Delay Medical Treatment After a Slip and Fall
It’s important to seek prompt medical care after a wet floor fall. If you don’t, it can have serious consequences for both your health and your potential injury claim.
Many serious injuries, like concussions and soft tissue damage, may not be apparent immediately after a wet floor fall. Adrenaline and shock can mask or delay pain and other symptoms after the accident. However, delaying diagnosis and treatment can exacerbate your injuries and lead to longer recovery times.
Additionally, seeing a doctor right away establishes a link between the accident and your injuries. Your medical records are evidence needed for an injury claim against the property owner responsible for the hazardous conditions that caused your fall.
Without timely medical records, the insurance company may argue that your injuries weren't caused by the wet floor fall or that they aren't as serious as you claim. Delays in treatment provide ammunition for insurance adjusters looking to diminish or deny valid injury claims.