Falling can result in serious injuries. Even if you don’t fall from the top of a stairway or a significant elevation, a slip-and-fall on the same level can still result in serious injuries. Many people could cause a soft tissue injury or broken bone by trying to catch themselves if they fall in a public place.
At least with broken bones, the injury is usually obvious right away. However, the worst injuries people suffer in a slip-and-fall are probably traumatic brain injuries (TBIs). People can hit their heads or get so shaken up that they experience bruising on their brains.
You don’t always know right away if you have hurt your brain, which is one good reason that you want to report a slip-and-fall even if you don’t know you got hurt.
Brain injuries cause delayed symptoms
When you hurt your brain, the symptoms can range from sensory issues like blurry vision to problems with your memory or balance. Symptoms may start showing up shortly after you hurt your head. However, TBIs are notorious for causing different symptoms long after you first get hurt.
As the swelling continues, you are symptoms make it worse or change completely. Someone who initially had no signs of a serious injury may eventually develop worrisome symptoms that require immediate medical intervention. Your symptoms can affect your career and require expensive medical care.
Businesses and property owners have insurance for this kind of issue
No one can completely eliminate the possibility of visitors getting hurt on their property. That is why it is so important for property owners and business owners to carry general liability insurance coverage and possibly premises liability coverage.
Individuals hurt because of inadequate facility maintenance can then make a claim against the insurance coverage, rather than taking the business or property owner to court. A TBI could mean thousands of dollars in hospital bills and possibly lost wages. The worse the injury is, the more likely it is to have a long-term impact on someone’s earning potential.
Those who fall and get hurt in public protect their right to make an insurance claim or take civil action by reporting the incident to the property owner or manager on duty and documenting the consequences of the injury. Learning more about brain injuries can help you better handle any compensation claim related to a slip-and-fall incident.