What to Expect When a Slip-and-Fall Injury Happens at School: Pursuing Personal Injury Compensation
| November 21st, 2023
Pursuing information and personal progress is paramount in educational institutions’ crowded hallways and classrooms. Despite the important goals being pursued in these institutions, schools are prone to the same risks as any other large facility, including slip and fall accidents. Such events, frequently overlooked, can have far-reaching consequences for the well-being of those in the school community.
Understanding Slip and Fall Accidents
Slip and fall accidents occur when someone accidentally slips or trips and falls, sustaining injuries. The fact that a slip and fall catastrophe could happen anywhere, at any moment, is a terrifying prospect. Victims of slip-and-falls could sustain life-threatening injuries with outcomes similar to traumatic brain injuries (TBI), spinal cord damage, broken hips, and even death.
A slip-and-fall mishap can result in medical expenses, other losses that result in an overwhelming financial burden, and the agony and suffering longterm injuries can cause. Thankfully, students have the right file an injury claim if they’ve been injured in slip-and-fall accidents. With the help of a Sacramento personal injury lawyer, their rights will be protected and compensation can be pursued.
What Are Some Common Reasons People Fall or Slip?
Knowing what factors can lead to slip-and-fall accidents is an essential step to preventing them. These types of accidents are usually a direct result of negligent property owners failing to alert people to possible hazards, such as:
Unfavorable Weather
The risk of slips and falls outside of the school may increase during inclement weather.
Improper Footwear
It might be difficult for pedestrians to navigate certain terrain in shoes that don’t fit properly or don’t have enough traction.
Distracted Navigation
Someone may lose focus while walking while talking to others, using a cell phone, or simply not paying attention.
Speeding From One Location to the Next
Moving abruptly or being in a rush and not taking precautions can increase the risk of falls in any space.
Impact of Slip-and-Fall Accidents
Accidents involving slips-and-falls significantly impact people and society. According to the National Safety Council, falling causes more than 800,000 hospitalizations each year, primarily due to head injuries and hip fractures.
What follows is a list of the typical long-term injuries that can occur because of a slip-and-fall accident. These are exactly the sort of injuries that victims can receive compensation for by pursuing a premises liability claim with the help of an injury lawyer in Sacramento.
Paralysis
Paralysis is one of the most severe and life-altering consequences of slip-and-fall accidents. The forces produced when a victim falls on their back or neck can damage the vertebrae and spinal cord.
It is unlikely that someone who has suffered a spinal cord injury will regain full function as the human spinal cord is brittle. Victims of slips and falls may experience paralysis in their legs, waists, torsos, arms, or sometimes their entire body.
Acute Brain Injury
The head is particularly susceptible to severe injuries during slip-and-fall or trip-and-fall accident. A person is more likely to sustain a traumatic brain injury when they hit their head against a hard surface such as wood, tile, or concrete floor.
Traumatic brain injuries range in severity from low-intensity concussions to severe wounds that result in brain hemorrhage and even the destruction of brain tissue. Traumatic brain injuries can have long-term and permanent repercussions, such as cognitive limitations, emotional difficulties, personality changes, and balance issues.
Loss or Reduction of Mobility
Anyone can break their hip in a slip-and-fall mishap, but older adults are more likely to sustain this kind of injury because their hips are weakened from osteoporosis, age, and prior trauma. Hip fractures can be lethal, very painful, and very disabling.
People who break their hips frequently need surgery to mend the shattered bones, and if their injuries are serious, they might even need hip replacements. A damaged hip puts a person at a significant risk for further hip fractures due to decreased mobility, poor balance, and a lack of walking confidence.
Pain
Victims of slips and fall accidents may experience broken bones, torn tendons or ligaments, and nerve damage. The effects of some of these injuries can be felt for months or even years after the body has healed.
The chronic pain that slip-and-fall victims often deal with can affect their quality of life and even their capacity to work. If the injured person used their hands and arms to brace themselves as they fell, they may experience pain in their upper bodies and lower backs, hips, legs, and even upper bodies.
Fear and Worry
When someone falls and sustains catastrophic injuries, they become terrified of it happening again. Although this often occurs only in senior slip-and-fall victims, everyone handles such events differently and some individuals are more prone to anxiety.
Such individuals may experience severe disruptions in all facets of their daily lives and routines. After their falls, they may not only be unable to work but also to enjoy hobbies, spend time with family and friends, and live freely.
Medical costs
Prescription drugs, medical care, and rehabilitation can all be very expensive. The severity of the injury and treatment cost will determine the amount of compensation received as part of the personal injury claim.
What to Do Following a Slip-and-Fall Accident at School
The following actions must be taken if a student or employee slips and falls at school:
- Seek medical attention.
- Gather and maintain evidence.
- Keep a record of your medical care.
- Inform school administrators.
- Consult an attorney.
Seeking Compensation for Slip and Fall Injuries at School
Slip-and-fall claims should be brought against the school to receive a settlement. Under the legal theory of “premises liability”, the school is liable for any student injuries brought on by negligence or dangerous conditions on school property.
Proving liability is crucial when filing a personal injury claim against a school. Schools have an obligation to protect students while on campus, and precautions must be taken to keep students and staff safe, and out of potentially hazardous situations.
If the school’s negligence was the cause of the injury, the school is held liable through a negligence guarantee. However, only a fraction of accidents that occur on school property will result in a strong claim for compensation.
How a Lawyer Can Assist in Determining Liability in a Fall Case
If a school fails to warn of a potential hazard, such as a spill or wet floor, this is evident negligence. However, the process of filing a personal injury claim against a school is not always straightforward. With a skilled personal injury attorney, Sacramento residents will see the benefits of having a lawyer pursue damages on their behalf firsthand, especially if the case goes to trial.
Whether a claim is resolved out of court or goes to trial, a personal injury attorney will offer vital advice and support. Lawyers will gather information, speak with the defendant’s attorney on your behalf, and submit all required documentation. Have you or your loved one experienced a slip-and-fall accident at school? Don’t navigate the aftermath alone. Contact us and consult with an attorney. Get access to all the knowledge you need to pursue personal injury compensation.
