After getting hurt in a slip and fall accident, many seniors find that their lives will never be the same as before. The experience can change things, including what the older adult is able to do and what he wants to do. A California slip and fall attorney can help you go after compensation if someone else’s carelessness caused you to get hurt in a slip and fall accident.
The incident must have happened on someone else’s property. The location of the accident could be residential or commercial property. These premises liability injury claims can include things like trip and fall and other injuries from hazardous conditions on the property.
10 Dangers for Seniors Slip and Fall Accidents
Here are 10 dangers seniors face following slip and fall accidents:
- Fractures. An older adult, particularly one with osteoporosis, is likely to break bones from a slip and fall accident. Hips and wrists are frequent injuries in these situations. If the person falls forward, facial fractures can happen.
- Head injuries. A blow to the head can occur either from striking an object on the way to the floor or ground or when making impact with the ground at the end of the fall.
- Back and spine injuries. Landing hard on the back after having one’s feet go out from under the person, can cause fractures in the vertebrae. Jagged bits of bones in the back can cut or sever the spinal cord, causing paralysis.
- Death. Falls are a leading cause of death in seniors.
- Pneumonia. When an older adult gets bedridden even for a few weeks after a slip and fall injury, the risk of pneumonia increases. This illness can lead to death.
- Disability. One of the most common causes of disability in older adults is getting hurt in a fall accident. Injuries do not always heal as well in an older person as they might in someone who is young. A compound fracture, for example, can leave a senior unable to use an arm or leg.
- Loss of mobility. After breaking a hip, knee, ankle, or leg bone, the older person might not be able to walk without a walker after the healing process is complete. Some people have to use wheelchairs for the rest of their lives after a slip and fall injury. The loss of mobility can contribute to isolation and declining health.
- Loss of independence. When an older person gets hurt in a slip and fall injury, his self-sufficiency is at risk. Fall accidents are of the most common reasons that seniors move into nursing homes.
- Depression. Many older adults experience chronic depression after a slip and fall accident. They get disheartened that they are no longer able to engage in activities that they used to enjoy.
- Fear of future falls. After suffering an injury in a slip and fall accident, many seniors “shut down” and stop being as active as before. The fear of another fall robs them of the enjoyment of life.
Contact Our Expert Los Angeles Slip and Fall Attorneys Today!
Considering the significant toll that a fall can take on an older adult’s quality of life, it can be a good idea to work with a California slip and fall attorney on your injury claim. Contact us today for a free consultation. You can devote your energy and attention to getting better while your lawyer takes care of the legal matters.