A routine stop at your favorite grocery store or coffee shop can turn into a life-altering medical situation thanks to hazards like slippery floors, wet surfaces, unmarked steps, faulty handrails or torn carpets. Accidents that result from these hazards are collectively known as slips and falls.
If you sustain injuries following a slip-and-fall accident that is attributable to the property owner’s negligence, then you may pursue compensation for the resulting damages as provided for by Indiana negligence laws.
Here are two catastrophic injuries that you might sustain following a slip-and-fall accident.
Traumatic brain injuries
During the slip-and-fall accident, most victims tend to land headfirst on the surface. If you slam your head on a hard surface like concrete, wood or asphalt, a traumatic brain injury (TBI) is likely to happen. Here are some of the TBI symptoms that you may experience after the accident includes:
- Memory and communication problems
- Loss of consciousness that can last for several seconds
- Fatigue, drowsiness and confusion
- Loss of balance
- Debilitating episodes of migraines and headaches that worsen over time
- Coma
- Spinal cord injuries
Injuries to the spine can lead to a lifetime of complications. These injuries happen when the victim damages the vertebrae, discs or ligaments that surround the spinal cord or the spinal cord itself during the impact.
The specific back injury you will sustain during the slip and fall depends on the area of the spinal cord that is hurt during the impact, but paralysis is a possibility.
If you are hurt in a slip-and-fall accident that is not your fault, you need to explore your legal options so you can pursue compensation for your injuries and other damages.