Key Points of This Article:
- Slip and fall accidents are often a matter of premises liability.
- Spinal cord injuries are a common occurrence after a slip and fall accident.
- Spinal cord injury victims deserve more compensation because they tend to have higher medical bills and more pain and suffering.
Every year, millions of people suffer injuries in slip and fall accidents, with the elderly being the most susceptible. And while the type of injury one sustains can vary depending on the circumstances, severe injuries tend to be most common, especially head, hip, and spinal cord injuries.
Spinal cord injuries, in particular, can be some of the most devastating to deal with as they can leave the victim permanently impaired, affecting their quality of life and even leading to death.
If you or a loved one injured your spinal cord after a slip and fall accident in Michigan, our team of compassionate legal experts can help. Not only can spinal cord injuries be devastating, but they can also be expensive to treat. But when you work with an attorney, you are more likely to get a higher settlement, which can more thoroughly compensate you for all of your pain and suffering and other damages such as medical bills.
What Is a Slip and Fall Accident?
A slip and fall accident is a broad term used to describe a wide range of accidents that occur when someone slips, trips, or stumbles and then falls. These kinds of accidents can occur in the home, outdoors, on private or commercial property, at work, etc. And in most cases, they are a matter of premises liability.
Essentially, when you enter someone’s property, whether it is a public, private, residential, or commercial space, the property owner has a duty to keep you safe. In other words, it is the property owner’s responsibility to ensure their property is reasonably free of any hazards that could cause harm.
If the property owner is aware or should reasonably be aware of a hazard and they fail to take care of the issue, they can be held liable for any accidents and injuries that occur as a result of that hazard. For example, if you go shopping after it snowed and you slip and fall due to snow that has not been cleared away after a reasonable amount of time, you can file a premises liability claim to recover compensation for your injuries.
What Spinal Cord Injuries Can Occur From a Slip and Fall Accident?
Any number of injuries that can result from a slip and fall accident. If the fall occurred as a result of a minor trip in a home on carpeting, for example, the victim might sustain nothing more than a bruise or two. But if someone falls on a hard surface or from a height, they are more likely to sustain a severe injury, such as a back and spinal cord injury.
Some of the most common back and spinal cord injuries that occur as a result of slip and fall accidents include:
- Whiplash
- Slipped discs
- Broken or fractured vertebrae
- Spinal cord compression
- Nerve damage
- Herniated disc
- Spinal concussion
- Torn spinal cord
- Bruised spine
While some spinal cord injuries listed above are minor and might only require rest and pain relievers, others can require emergency medical treatment to save the victim’s life or to prevent them from sustaining further damage. In some cases, even after surgery, a spinal cord injury can still leave the victim permanently impaired and paralyzed. The most severe spinal cord injuries can also result in death.
Recovering Compensation After a Slip and Fall Spinal Cord Injury
Because of the severity of a spinal cord injury, the victim deserves a higher settlement than might otherwise be awarded for other types of injuries. This is because not only will their medical bills be higher, but they could also suffer more physically and mentally from the trauma and pain, and the injury could significantly reduce their quality of life.
Thus, the amount of compensation a person can receive in a spinal cord injury case can vary greatly depending on the individual case and how severe the injury is. Overall, the factors that can play a role in how much is awarded include:
- Cost of medical treatments and hospital bills
- Cost of rehabilitation services, if needed
- Potential future medical expenses
- Loss of wages and future earning capacity
- How much pain the victim is physically suffering
- How much the victim is suffering emotionally
- How severely the victim’s life has been altered by the injury
- Loss of companionship
In slip and fall cases, how much compensation is recovered will also depend on the victim’s ability to prove that the property owner was at fault for their injury, which can be a challenge. As mentioned above, property owners owe their visitors and guests a duty of care, but proving that the owner knew about a hazard and failed to take care of it is not easy.
This is why slip and fall victims must work with an attorney. A Detroit slip and fall attorney can help you prove fault and supply sufficient evidence to show how much you are suffering to ensure you are adequately compensated.
The Lee Steinberg Law Firm: Helping Victims of Slip and Fall Accidents in Detroit and Michigan
Spinal cord injuries from a slip and fall accident can be devastating and leave you with the financial burden of costly medical bills. Our team of experienced slip and fall attorneys is dedicated to fighting hard for our clients’ rights to ensure they are fully and fairly compensated to help them pay for all of their expenses, losses, and suffering.
Call our Detroit personal injury lawyers at 1-800-LEE-FREE (1-800-533-3733) to speak with an experienced attorney. Our consultations are free and confidential, and you’ll pay nothing until we settle your slip and fall case.
