Whether you are a patient or a visitor, the hospital may be the last place you expected to fall and get hurt. As you wait to see a doctor or receive test results, you may wonder just how serious your hospital slip and fall injuries may be and what you should do next. Keep reading to find out.
Five Common Hospital Slip and Fall Injuries
Your specific hospital slip and fall injuries depend on how you fell and your underlying health conditions. Whether or not you experience pain, you could have sustained one of the following injuries:
- Traumatic brain injuries. If you fall and hit your head, you may suffer a concussion or traumatic brain injury. Your specific injuries depend on the part of the brain that was injured and the severity of the injury. However, you may experience gross motor, fine motor, cognitive, and speech and language complications.
- Spinal cord injuries. A spinal cord injury can leave you paralyzed. Currently, there is no cure for spinal cord injuries. You may require lifelong treatment and assistance.
- Broken bones. Any bone can break in a fall. Whether you break your hip, pelvis, leg, arm, collarbone, or another bone, you may experience significant pain and require medical treatment.
- Shoulder and neck injuries. Soft tissue injuries may be painful and keep you from your everyday activities, including work.
- Ligament, tendon, and muscle injuries. Pulled muscles, torn tendons, stretched ligaments, and other injuries can limit your movement and cause significant pain.
Once a medical professional makes a diagnosis, a treatment plan should be developed to help you heal. Your treatment may include surgery, physical therapy, and medications. Your doctor may advise you to take time off from work to heal and avoid some of your daily activities to prevent further injury.
What to Do After a Hospital Slip and Fall Injury
Immediately after your hospital fall, you may:
- Gather evidence. The hospital may fix the cause of your fall quickly, and essential evidence may be lost. Accordingly, it is critical to take pictures at the accident scene, request that any security footage be preserved, and gather the names and contact information of any witnesses. Ask a friend or relative to help you as quickly as possible if your physical condition prevents you from taking these steps.
- Accept medical help at the hospital. You may be hesitant to accept medical help from the facility where you were hurt. However, the medical team may provide you with the necessary care that prevents your injury from worsening and helps you manage your pain.
In the days following your fall, you may:
- Get a second medical opinion. It makes sense that you got medical care in the hospital where you fell. However, since the hospital could be a potential defendant in a hospital negligence case, you might want a second opinion from a medical provider you trust. You have the right to see your own doctor or go to another hospital for treatment.
- Contact an attorney. Experienced KY personal injury lawyers will investigate what happened, identify potentially liable parties, and fight for your fair recovery of damages.
Potential compensation in a hospital fall injury case may include past and future medical costs, lost income, out-of-pocket expenses, physical pain, and emotional suffering. However, you have a limited amount of time to pursue this recovery. If the statute of limitations expires before you file a lawsuit, then you may be unable to recover financial damages.
Our KY Personal Injury Lawyers Are Here to Help
Hospital falls are considered “never” events—meaning that they should never happen. If you were hurt because of a slippery floor, clutter that caused you to trip, a fall from bed, or any other form of hospital negligence, you deserve legal compensation for your injuries, but you will likely have to fight for it.
Please contact our experienced KY personal injury lawyers for a free consultation at any time. We welcome your call, live chat, or completed contact form 24/7/365.
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