Top 10 Most Common Slip and Fall Injuries

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What are the Top 10 Injuries That Can Occur After Slip and Fall Accidents?

What are the Top 10 Injuries That Can Occur After Slip and Fall Accidents?

Nov 28, 2022

Slip and falls (also known as trip and falls) can occur virtually anywhere and lead to a range of injuries – from minor cuts and bruises to a catastrophic injury requiring long-term medical care. From supermarkets to hotels to casinos and even public sidewalks, slip or trip and fall accidents injure countless people every year.

Top 10 Most Common Slip and Fall Injuries

When a slip and fall accident occurs due to negligence on the part of an individual or entity, how can you recover the financial compensation necessary to make a complete recovery that takes into account your physical, emotional, and financial well-being?

In the sections below, we will take a look at The Top 10 Most Common Injuries Occurring as a Result of Slip/Trip and Fall Accidents. Additionally, we’ll review what damages may be recoverable through a slip/trip and fall personal injury civil lawsuit with Dordulian Law Group. We’ll also discuss the deadlines for filing your claim in California and how you can maximize your cash settlement after a slip and fall injury stemming from negligence or carelessness.

What is a Slip and Fall?

A slip and fall typically occurs when the victim slips and loses footing on someone’s property or premises. A slip or trip and fall civil lawsuit is what’s known as a premises liability claim in personal injury law. Any time someone slips or trips and falls at either a public or private property location and an injury occurs as a result of negligence or carelessness, the victim may be eligible to file a premises liability lawsuit to recover financial compensation or a cash settlement. Slip/trip and falls commonly occur at grocery stores, hotels, parking lots, parks, shopping malls, hospitals, etc.

Latest U.S Slip and Fall Statistics for 2022

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) confirm that each year approximately 9 million people in the United States visit emergency rooms for fall-related injuries. And 3 million older people – those age 65 or above – are treated annually in emergency rooms for falls.

Between 2007 and 2016, CDC data confirms that fall death rates increased 30% in the U.S. And if those rates continue to climb, by 2030 there will be an estimated seven deaths every hour due to falls.

Some additional statistics related to slip and fall injuries include:

  • One out of five falls causes a serious injury such as broken bones or a head injury.
  • Over 800,000 patients a year are hospitalized because of a fall injury (typically due to a head injury or hip fracture).
  • Each year at least 300,000 older people are hospitalized for hip fractures.
  • More than 95% of hip fractures are caused by falling, usually by falling sideways.
  • Falls are the most common cause of traumatic brain injuries (TBI).
  • In 2015, the total medical costs for falls totaled more than $50 billion. Medicare and Medicaid shouldered 75% of these costs, according to the CDC.
  • Over 50% of accidental deaths due to falls occur in the household.
  • Slip and falls represent 50% of all accidental deaths occurring at home.
  • Slip and fall accidents are actually the leading cause of non-fatal medical treatment in the U.S.
  • Falls are a common occurrence on workplace sites, and in 2020, 805 workers died from such incidents.
  • In 2020, 211,640 workers were injured badly enough from slip or trip and falls to require days off from work in order to recover from those injuries
  • .

As the CDC notes, falls can cause serious injuries and even fatalities. With head injuries frequently occurring in slip or trip and fall accidents, the potential for a victim to experience a reduced quality of life afterward is relatively high. As a result, a civil claim may be necessary to help a victim make a complete recovery, especially when a severe injury is sustained.

Let’s take a look at the Top 10 Most Common Injuries After Slip and Fall Accidents in greater detail below.

The Top 10 Most Common Injuries from Slip and Falls

  1. Broken Bones and Fractures: Whether it’s a broken ankle or a broken wrist, slip and falls commonly cause a variety of bone breaks and/or fractures. Such an injury can lead to prolonged recovery times and a great deal of required medical care (including rehabilitation/physical therapy in some cases).
  2. Soft Tissue Damage: Harm to muscles, ligaments, and tendons are common examples of what’s known as soft tissue damage injuries. Soft tissue damage can lead to swelling, bruising, and various general injuries. Contusions, sprains, tendinitis, and strains are some additional examples of soft tissue damage.
  3. Head and Neck Injuries: When a slip or trip and fall occurs, the head and neck are commonly impacted. Hitting one’s head on the ground after a slip and fall or spraining/breaking one’s neck are two scenarios that frequently result after slip and falls occur.
  4. Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI): Traumatic brain injuries typically occur as a result of car accidents or high-impact sporting accidents. But slip or trip and falls also commonly lead to serious injuries such as TBI. Some common symptoms that may develop after a slip and fall leading to TBI include confusion, blurry vision, and difficulty concentrating.
  5. Concussion (MTBI): Concussion is another type of traumatic brain injury – often referred to as a mild TBI or MTBI. When someone suffers a slip and fall and lands on their back, the force can cause one’s head to hit the ground. As a result, the head and brain actually move backward and forward rapidly due to the blow. This can lead to concussion, and the common symptoms include headache, confusion, lack of coordination, nausea, vomiting, dizziness, etc.
  6. Spinal Cord Injury: A spinal cord injury can easily occur as a result of a slip or trip and fall incident. When a spinal cord injury is endured, the victim’s cells and nerves which send and receive signals from the brain to the rest of the body are often damaged – in some cases beyond repair. The spinal cord itself as well as the tissue and bones surrounding it can be impacted by a slip or trip and fall.
  7. Lacerations, Scrapes, and Abrasions: A slip or trip and fall accident may leave the victim with serious injuries to the skin/epidermis. Lacerations, scrapes, and abrasions may sound like minor injuries on the surface, but in the context of a serious slip and fall accident they can often be quite severe. If you’ve experienced such an injury, seeking immediate treatment is recommended to ensure infection does not spread.
  8. Hip Fractures: A slip and fall often leads to the unsuspecting victim landing directly on one of their hips. Unfortunately, a hip fracture often requires a significant amount of recovery time, and the injured victim may never be able to regain the same range of motion he or she had prior to the incident.
  9. Knee Damage: Knees can easily twist, pop, and break after a slip or trip and fall accident. Such injuries often require a substantial amount of physical therapy and recovery time. A knee injury can leave the victim with lifelong pain and suffering, and the condition can often require multiple surgeries.
  10. Back Injuries: Slip or trip and falls often cause the victim to lose balance and land on his or her back. Back injuries such as ruptured or herniated discs can be extremely painful, and if you’re forced to miss out on work or experience a reduced quality of life as a result, you may be entitled to a substantial cash settlement.

If’ you’ve suffered any type of injury as a result of a slip/trip and fall that was due to someone else’s negligence, a civil lawsuit with Dordulian Law Group (DLG) can be a means of recovering certain damages relative to your incident.

What Damages are Recoverable After a California Slip/Trip and Fall Injury?

Some of the damages that the Los Angeles slip and fall injury attorneys at DLG may pursue on your behalf include:

  • Hospital and medical bills – past and future
  • Rehabilitation costs – past and future
  • Physical therapy costs – past and future
  • Lost wages
  • Diminished future earning capacity
  • Reduced quality of life
  • Psychological distress
  • Emotional trauma
  • Punitive damages

At DLG, we always fight to recover maximum financial compensation for all applicable damages in a client’s slip or trip and fall case. Whatever your specific slip and fall incident entailed (and however severe your injuries may be) we will work tirelessly on your behalf to recover the maximum financial damages award you deserve to make a complete recovery.

How Can I Recover Financial Compensation After a Slip and Fall?

By filing a civil lawsuit with DLG, injured slip/trip and fall victims may be able to recover financial compensation for a variety of losses. When negligence or carelessness causes a slip/trip and fall incident resulting in an injury, the liable party should cover things like medical expenses, pain and suffering, and more. It should not be the responsibility of the injured victim to pay for such expenses out of their own pocket.

At DLG, we have decades of experience helping slip and fall victims recover maximum financial compensation for their injuries. We’ll fight to help you obtain compensation quickly and justly, allowing you to recover on your own terms.

What is the Deadline for Filing a Slip and Fall Lawsuit?

In California, the statute of limitations for personal injury claims (including slip/trip and fall accidents) is almost always two years from the date that the incident occurred. In some cases, however, such as when an injured victim is pursuing a claim against a government entity or other specific at-fault party, the statute of limitations could be much shorter (sometimes only six months).

Accordingly, it is recommended that slip and fall injury victims contact an experienced DLG lawyer immediately following an accident. Taking immediate action will increase your chances of success and also ensure your slip/trip and fall injury claim is filed timely, properly, and in accordance with all state and local regulations.

DLG: The Leading Los Angeles Slip and Fall Lawyers

DLG was founded by former Deputy District Attorney for Los Angeles County, Sam Dordulian. As California’s leading personal injury attorneys with experience and proven results that simply can’t be matched by most other firms, DLG offers clients peace of mind and confidence while navigating the legal system. As a Deputy District Attorney, Dordulian helped victims obtain justice in criminal cases – securing life sentences against some of our community’s most dangerous criminals. Today, Dordulian helps injured victims recover maximum financial compensation for all types of accidents, including those involving slip/trip and falls.

At DLG, our experience and proven results speak volumes:

  • More than $100,000,000.00 recovered in settlements and verdicts for injured victims like you
  • A consistent 98% win record
  • More than 100 jury trial victories
  • Former Deputy District Attorney for L.A. County
  • In-house Chief Investigator/retired LAPD detective
  • More than 25 years of personal injury experience

Ready to file a claim and pursue justice through a financial damages award? Our expert attorneys are available online or by phone now.

We provide each and every client with the professionalism, personalized attention, and compassion they deserve. To file your personal injury claim, contact an experienced, trusted, and proven slip and fall accident attorney from DLG today for a free and no obligation consultation at 818-322-4056.


Go See Sam