Your next step after a slip and fall incident is seeing a doctor

You may slip and fall but feel OK afterward if a bit shaken. The question is, could you actually have an injury?

Perhaps there are no immediate symptoms after your fall, but it is important to seek medical attention anyway. Slip-and-fall incidents are a leading cause of accidental injuries.

Invisible injuries

Soft tissue injuries are common in slip-and-fall events There are no outward signs of an injury, which may lull you into thinking there is no problem. However, symptoms may appear several days or even weeks after the fall. See a doctor right away as you could have a ligament or tendon tear.

Broken bones

A fall can result in a minor fracture, or a serious break and you should go to the nearest emergency room for x-rays and immediate care. Some broken bones cause swelling and bleeding and the strength of your recovery depends on the extent of treatment in the first 12 hours after the fall. One of the more complex and painful injuries is a broken shoulder, usually the result of falling forward. The break may affect the neural network between shoulder, arm and hand. Treatment requires surgery followed by physical therapy.

Other serious injuries

One of the most severe injuries that can result from a slip-and-fall episode is a spinal cord injury (SCI), which can cause paralysis of the limbs and is often life-threatening. A slip-and-fall occurrence can also cause a serious brain injury, which might only present mild symptoms at first. This is an example of the need to seek prompt medical attention. Keep in mind that if your slip-and-fall injury is the result of a property owner’s negligence, you have a right to expect maximum compensation to cover your medical expenses and more.