Slip-and-fall accidents can happen quickly. One moment you are walking, then the next you are lying on a patch of black ice or a slick grocery aisle floor.
While many walk away with a bruise, a slip-and-fall can cause a herniated disk. This condition can cause excruciating pain that can affect your quality of life.
Because slips happen instantly, you often cannot control how you land on the floor. Usually, your glutes and lower back take the brunt of the impact. This causes a sudden compression that forces the spine to squeeze together, which can eventually rupture or bulge the disks between the vertebrae.
Moreover, if you were able to grab something to break the fall, you are also at risk of a disk injury. The sudden twist can create a force great enough to cause a disk tear.
Be wary of these symptoms:
Seeking immediate medical attention is the foundation of your injury claim. A doctor can subject you to multiple evaluations to assess the severity of your condition. Their notes, recommended treatment options and your imaging results can connect your injury to the fall.
If you were shopping in a grocery store, you may have grounds to file a claim against the property owner. However, you have the burden of proving that they breached their duty of care. To establish your case, you must show that the owner failed to exercise reasonable care regarding hazards of which they had actual or constructive knowledge.
Gathering evidence is your main goal. Photos of the hazard and witness statements can help link the fall to your diagnosis. Because these claims are technically complex, seeking legal counsel is the best course of action. A personal injury attorney can help you navigate the nuances of the claims process while recovering from your injury.
