September 28, 2016
The worst kind of slip and fall cases are usually those that reactivate an existing injury. Inflammation and muscle tightness around an already traumatized area will likely make slip and fall accidents even more painful. You may also be legally compensated for your fall depending on the conditions of the location of your accident.
Slips and falls usually hurt the most when it impacts an existing injury.
If you’ve slipped and had a fall, you might be in enough pain to require medical attention. If you have an existing condition, the pain from slip and falls will probably hurt even worse. For example, let’s say you already have a lingering back injury. Your condition could be improving when, all of a sudden, you fall on your back — and now you’re in even more pain. One of the reasons you’re in more pain is likely because of inflammation from your previous injury. Even though you might not see any swelling on the outside of your body, there may be inflammation on inside of your body. This interior swelling may be pressing up against your nerves, causing tightness in the affected area. Clearly, this inflammation from an existing injury might cause the pain from a fall to feel even worse.
Muscle tightness is another possible issue when re-injuring your body in a slip and fall accident. When you’re in pain, tension usually starts to builds up; this tension occurs when your muscles squeeze together. Generally, your body’s instinct is to try and restrict your movement after a slip and fall accident. Your body wants you to stay still because every time you move, you might put yourself in more pain. However, tense muscles may actually cause more pain. Often, people think that they should just sit down for awhile after they have just had a fall, but restricting your muscle’s movement may actually make things worse. By failing to exercise your muscles, they are more likely to remain tight. It may be helpful to get full body exercise after an accident, preferably with the assistance of a physical therapist.
Slip and fall cases are potentially a legal issue.
If you’re the victim of a slip and fall accident accident, it may be helpful to know your legal rights. If a slip and fall accident is a legal issue, it is usually considered to be a premises liability. If you’re a customer at a business and you slip on something on the floor, business owner might be liable for your fall. A premises liability might also be applicable when you’re at someone’s home. To determine liability, the victim must prove that the owner of the premises knew or should have known of the defect that caused a slipping hazard.
How to determine liability depends on the available evidence. After a slip and fall, it may be helpful to take photos or videos of the scene, as well as talking to any witnesses and gathering their compact information to help make your case. Also, a slip and fall attorney might be able to access security camera footage from the business, if available. Video footage is often necessary to help convince a judge or jury that the business owner was negligent.
Before consulting with an attorney, you may want to consult a medical professional to discuss any visible or potential injuries. Seeking medical treatment as soon as possible may be crucial to ensure immediate medical issues are dealt with. Afterwards, turn to a Las Vegas personal injury lawyer that can handle personal injury cases who can help you.
Thanks to our friends and co-contributors from Nadia von Magdenko & Associates for their added insight into personal injury practice.