A slip and fall injury often conjures up visuals of cuts, bruises, or even broken bones. But although any of these injuries can be extremely painful and disruptive to your life, they alone aren’t life-threatening. However, slip and fall accidents can – and often do – result in very serious, life-threatening injuries.
Since we can’t always control how we land when we fall, sometimes we may land on our head or hit our head on the way down, causing a traumatic brain injury (TBI). A TBI occurs when the brain hits the skull.
While some TBIs are minor, such as a mild concussion, others can result in permanent brain damage or even death. Unfortunately, symptoms of a TBI can be delayed, giving you a false sense that you are okay. That’s why it’s so important that you seek medical attention as soon as possible whenever you hit your head in an accident.
However, depending upon the symptoms you experience, you may be able to determine if it’s more likely that you have suffered a mild or severe TBI.
Symptoms of Mild TBI
Symptoms of a mild TBI, such as a concussion, include
- Headaches
- Vomiting
- Blurred vision
- Difficulty concentrating
- (Brief) loss of consciousness
- Sensory issues
- Sleep disturbances
- Sensitivity to light and/or sound
Symptoms of Moderate or Severe TBI
Many of the symptoms that you experience when you have suffered a mild TBI are the same as those you experience with a moderate or severe TBI; the only difference is their severity. However, there are additional symptoms of a moderate or severe TBI of which you should be aware. These include:
- Headaches that are getting worse or don’t go away
- Slurred speech
- Confusion
- Seizures/convulsions
- Numbness in your fingers or toes
- Combativeness, agitation, or other unusual behavior/change in personality
- Inability to wake up
As mentioned, it’s imperative that you seek medical attention no matter the severity of your symptoms after a head injury. The sooner you do so, the better your chance of a full recovery.
Duty of Care
It’s important to note that both property managers and business owners have a duty to anyone invited on their property to maintain safe premises and to fix any hazards on the property (as soon as they are made aware).
For instance, if someone drops a glass jar of orange juice in a grocery store and alerts the store manager, but nothing is cleaned up and an hour later someone slips and falls on the orange juice, the grocery store can be held liable for any injuries suffered by the individual who fell.
However, if you don’t invite anyone onto your private property, you do not owe anyone who comes onto your property a duty to be free from harm. Children are the exception though: you must have warnings to keep children away from all dangers on your property even if you have not invited them onto it.
To put it simply, when you are legally on someone else’s property, a property owner or manager who knew or should have known of a hazard on the property but failed to fix it, can be found negligent for your accident and subsequently be found responsible to compensate you for your injuries incurred due to it.
This compensation may include:
- Medical bills (past and future)
- Rehabilitation expenses
- Pain and suffering
- Lost wages
- Loss of consortium (companionship)
MPJ Law Firm Can Help Those in NM Who Have Been Injured in a Slip and Fall Accident
If you or a loved one has been injured in a slip and fall accident, it can greatly impact your life. It can be difficult enough dealing with your substantial injuries, but it can be even harder when you are left to pick up the pieces financially. You should never have to pay the price for someone else’s mistakes.
At MPJ Law Firm, we have a deep understanding of personal injury accidents and understand the effects that such accidents often have on just about all aspects of your life. We will always act in your best interest. To learn more or to schedule a free consultation, contact us today!
Posted in: Head Injury, Slip and Fall Accidents