Neck Injuries from Slip and Fall Accidents

The Costs of Slip and Fall Accidents

Most of us in our life have at some time slipped and fallen down with no long lasting effects, but a slip and fall accident can potentially result in a serious neck injury. When it can be proven that the cause of a slip and fall accident was due to someone’s negligence, that person or their company can be held liable. This includes the victim’s company if it can be determined that the slip and fall accident was caused by unsafe work conditions. Neck injuries can be serious.

A “simple” slip and fall accident may not have simple consequences. Serious neck injuries can result and wreak havoc on the victim’s long term health and well-being. The associated damages can be high as a result of:

1. Ambulance transportation from the accident scene to the emergency room.
2. Examination and x-ray fees plus any additional diagnostic tests.
3. Medical costs associated with immediate, short and long term treatments.
4. Physical rehabilitation.
5. Surgery
6. Lost wages from the present into the future.
7. Lost benefits as a result of not being able to work.

Symptoms of a Neck Injury

Immediately after experiencing a slip and fall accident, seek medical attention. There’s no substitute for qualified medical expertise to diagnose the extent of your injury. If you suspect you may have sustained a neck injury, any of the following symptoms may be present but their absence does not mean your neck isn’t injured:

• A dull aching in the neck
• Pain when turning your head or moving it in any direction
• Shooting pains, tenderness, numbness, or tingling in the neck area
• Difficulty swallowing
• Headache
• Facial pain
• Shoulder pain
• Numbness or tingling in the arm

Types of Neck Injuries

A neck injury may affect the nervous system as well as the spinal cord. In the worst case scenarios, neck injuries can cause paralysis or death.

• Whiplash can be caused by the head forcibly and suddenly moving in one direction and then snapping backward.
• Neck fracture. A slip and fall accident can result in a break of the cervical bone, resulting in a neck fracture. The elderly and those suffering from osteoporosis are at greater risk of this injury due to the brittleness of their bones.

Who can be held accountable for a slip and fall accident?

This will largely depend on where the accident occurred, the circumstances of the accident, and who owns the property on which the slip and fall occurred. Negligence must also be proven. The following are only general guidelines and are in no way a substitute for legal advice:

• If on private property, was the owner aware of the dangerous conditions but did nothing to address them?
• If at your workplace, did your employers ignore unsafe working conditions?
• If on public property, were those responsible for its maintenance knowingly ignore dangerous conditions that led to your slip and fall injury?

Statute of Limitations

Most slip and fall accidents will fall under the statute of limitations which limits how long you can wait before you seek legal recourse. If the at-fault party is a government entity, the statute of limitations period may be even shorter. It’s important that if you have had a slip and fall accident and suffered a neck injury as a result that you immediately consider contacting a slip and fall lawyer.

Need a Memphis Personal Injury Lawyer?

Call Patterson Bray at 901-372-5003 or email us here.

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Thanks to our friends and contributors at Cohen & Cohen, P.C. for their additional insight into neck injuries as a result of a slip and fall accident.