Smithtown, NY Slip and Fall Lawyer
Everyone is likely to fall down and hurt themselves at some point in their life. Most of the time, a slip and fall is not a big deal. However, that is not to say that legal claims for slip and fall injuries are not worth pursuing. It is just as easy to get badly injured from a slip and fall as it is to come away from the experience with no problem at all. If you are injured in a slip and fall, you could end up with enormous medical expenses, a lengthy recovery period, and the inability to do things you used to enjoy.
Our lawyers are here to help. We can handle the legal aspects of your slip and fall accident lawsuit so that you can focus on recovering and getting your life back on track. You deserve experienced legal representation to fight for the compensation you deserve after an accident.
Call our slip and fall lawyers with The Carrion Law Firm at (718) 841-0083 for a free case analysis.
Injuries From Slip and Fall Accidents in Smithtown, NY
Slip and fall accidents are often played for laughs in movies, television, and cartoons. However, the reality is anything but funny. Slip and fall accidents can lead to serious injuries. In extreme accidents, these injuries could be life-altering.
Broken Bones
An impact from falling onto a hard surface has the capacity to break bones. Broken bones could also result from landing on a limb when falling down in such a way that it snaps. All broken bones will require a cast and/or sling to hold them in place while they heal. This could prevent you from being able to do things you enjoy while you recover. More serious fractures, like a compound fracture where the bone pierces the skin, will likely require surgical procedures to set in place for recovery. Additionally, even after your bone mends itself, you will have to regain strength and retrain the part of your body that was immobilized during recovery.
Bruises and Scrapes
Blunt impacts can also easily lead to bruising. A bruise is when blood vessels are crushed underneath the skin, resulting in swelling, soreness, and discoloration around the bruised area. Most minor bruises can heal on their own. However, severe bruising over a large area requires immediate medical attention. In some cases, it could be fatal.
If you fall onto a rough surface, chances are you get some scrapes or friction burns. Again, while minor scrapes can heal on their own, more serious variants of these injuries, like abrasions, where the skin is ripped away from the muscle, require professional medical care.
Cuts and Puncture Wounds
If you land on something sharp after falling, you could get badly cut up or stabbed. Deep cuts frequently require stitching or sutures to heal properly and could result in disfigurement if they are on your face. Stabs and puncture wounds are much more dangerous than cuts. Puncture wounds only need to travel a few inches into the body to hit organs and cause severe tissue damage. Moreover, stabs and punctures are harder to stitch shut than cuts, so they will be tougher or medical professionals to treat.
Nerve Damage
A fall that impacts the wrong location on your body could damage nerves and impair the brain’s ability to send signals to parts of your body. Most of the time, this kind of injury is temporary and might result in loss of sensation in a limb, tingling, or inability to move it for a time. However, in many cases nerve damage from a slip and fall is permanent. You could lose the ability to do certain tasks, which could cost you your job, prevent you from participating in recreational activities you enjoy, and make everyday tasks harder.
Traumatic Brain Injuries
Traumatic brain injuries (TBI) are caused by hard impacts to the head that damage the brain, pierce the skull, or both. Even less serious traumatic brain injuries, like concussions, can have serious side effects, such as fatigue, sensitivity to light and sound, mood swings, and memory loss. The consequences of more serious TBIs are dire. Severe traumatic brain injuries can result in permanent cognitive deficiencies, loss of basic bodily functions like walking or talking, and, in extreme cases, death.
Damages in a Slip and Fall Accident Lawsuit
If you are successful in your slip and fall lawsuit, the court will award you damages. Damages in civil suits are designed to put the plaintiff in as close a position as possible to where they were prior to getting injured. Damages take the form of financial compensation for two main reasons. First, it is very likely that the plaintiff incurred significant medical expenses from their injuries. One of the ways for a plaintiff to get back to where they were before an accident is to have the court recoup their financial losses. Second, it is often not literally possible to put the plaintiff back where they were prior to the accident. For example, if a plaintiff loses 80% of the range of motion in their arms from falling down, the court cannot restore that range of motion. In those cases, financial compensation is used as a substitute for restoring the plaintiff to their prior condition.
The two main kinds of damages in slip and fall lawsuits are economic and non-economic damages. Economic damages are based on things like medical bills and lost income which have a monetary value based in reality. Non-economic damages are for things like mental distress, pain and suffering, and the inability to participate in activities because of injuries.
You should argue for both types of damages in your slip and fall lawsuit. However, it is ultimately up to the jury what amount of damages you are awarded.
Connect with Our Smithtown, NY Slip and Fall Accident Lawyers Today
Reach out to The Carrion Law Firm’s slip and fall accident lawyers at (718) 841-0083 to get a review of your case.