What A 'Slip And Fall' Could Cost You
Michael Babboni
Personal Injury
Slip and fall accidents are pretty common. Sometimes a fall is easy to walk off with little to no injury. However, it isn't uncommon for a slip and fall to cost you a lot more. It doesn't take much for a little fall to cause you to hit your head or break your ankle in the process. Even an injury that may have seemed minor at the time could lead up to significant health issues later on if you do not seek out medical attention immediately.So what exactly could a slip and fall be costing you?
Lost Wages
Depending on the severity of your injuries, you may be temporarily unable to continue working. Though it is illegal to fire you for your injuries, you are still unable to receive your payments if you are too hurt to work. This can make it near impossible to pay your bills or for food. If you have a family to support, this can be especially bad. However, if your injuries leave you permanently disabled you may even need to file for disability in order to receive the financial assistance necessary to support yourself.
Medical Bills
Not only do you have medical treatments to pay for, but you may also have dental and psychological treatment costs as well depending on your injuries. This can really add up and many do not have the money to spare for it.
If your injuries are severe, you may also have future medical costs to consider as well. For example, a knee injury may take multiple surgeries to fix properly. This means that you will be constantly spending more and more in medical procedures and treatment because of this single slip and fall accident.
Pain And Suffering
The costs are not always financial. Being the victim of a slip and fall can cause you a lot of pain and frustration. For some this pain will only be a temporary set back. However, that may not always be the case. Though young children and adolescences can often recover from broken bones and sprains easily, this can not often be said for older adults. From broken bones to more severe injuries like traumatic brain injury, it is likely that an older victim will always have some pain and difficulty after a slip and fall accident.
Property Damage
Though it is not common, a slip and fall can end up damaging property. The property owner may even demand you pay for what was damaged even when you are the victim.
With all the costs of a slip and fall, is there anyway you can receive help you financially?
If you are involved in a slip and fall, you may be able to receive financial compensation for your injuries. This can help compensate you in medical costs and allow you to support yourself during the brief period you are unable to work. If the accident causes you to be too disabled to work, you may also need to file for disability.
Even financial compensation aside, it is important to seek liability if your accident is in any way caused by someone else's actions or neglect. By not seeking liability and reporting your accident, it may easily happen again to someone else. However, by making a claim you can ensure that the problem gets fixed. For example, if your slip and fall is due to a grocery store neglecting to clean up a broken jam jar then seeking liability ensures that the store will put more effort into spotting and taking care of spills in the future in a safe and quick manner.