Personal Injury: Common Hand Injuries in Slip and Fall Cases

At one time or another, all of us have experienced a slip and fall. Now the holiday season and the winter weather that accompanies it have arrived. Those beautiful snowfalls and subsequent icy streets and sidewalks present us with more ways to suffer a slip and fall injury. According to Government statistics, slip and falls account for over eight million visits to emergency rooms throughout the country every year. While many different injuries can occur from such falls, hand injuries tend to be dominant in the mix of things. From sprains, strains, and fractures, let’s review some details of slip and falls, the most common types of hand injuries found in slip and fall cases, and how a personal injury attorney can assist.

How do Slip and Fall Injuries Occur?

While the opportunity to slip and fall may increase during the winter months, slip and fall injuries occur throughout the year. Slip and fall injuries also do not care how old you are at the time. I learned at a young age that running on wet surfaces while wearing flip-flops was not a good idea. While children may fall more frequently than adults due to play, older adults are at the most risk of injuries due to an unexpected slip and fall. The slip and fall injury is always out there waiting to occur. All it needs to occur is that one moment when we are not paying attention to the path before us. Whether you are admiring nature or texting on your cell, that uneven sidewalk or icy road are just waiting to assist you into a slip and fall injury.

Hand Injury Specifics

Thinking of how most of us respond when we begin to fall, it is easy to see why hand injuries are the most common type of injury that occurs subsequent to a slip and fall. Whether we are falling forward or backward, the first instinct seems to be to put our hands out to try to stop or at least cushion the fall. The type of surface you fall on can also have a big effect on the severity of the injury that will occur. Snow or grass is preferable to ice or a cement pavement. A fall on a hard surface makes fractures more likely to occur. Fractures involving the hand and wrist are the most common type of hand injuries. While hand injuries are most common, head back and other injuries also occur of course. Older adults are especially vulnerable to hip fractures.

Consult a Personal Injury Attorney at the Shapiro Law Group

To get the proper compensation for any injuries suffered from a slip and fall, a determination of liability is necessary. After seeking the proper medical care, consulting a Personal Injury Attorney at the Shapiro Law Group to help you sort through the plethora of factors that need review should be your first step. In addition to medical expenses, you may be entitled to compensation for lost income and the pain and suffering you have had to endure. Call today at (339) 309-1188 for a free consultation.