What Happens to Your Body When You Slip and Fall?

Many animals have built-in defense systems. The armadillo can curl up in a ball and use its “armor” to deflect an attack. A porcupine will use its needles, and a skunk will use its pungent spray to ward off assaults. These are the kinds of defenses that happen automatically. Humans have a type of defense system, but it’s not as protective.

When a person feels threatened, their body goes into “flight or fight” mode. It is a genetic code that releases a rush of adrenaline designed to provide you with an energy boost to take on an attacker or run from danger. As the Cleveland Clinic explains, “Adrenaline (epinephrine) is a hormone your adrenal glands make to help you prepare for stressful or dangerous situations.” What happens to your body when you slip and fall?

That same adrenaline release happens when your body falls to the ground. Sadly, that rush of adrenaline doesn’t prevent you from an injury; it just means that the effects will be delayed as the adrenaline masks the pain. Instead, it can manifest with the following immediate responses:

• Faster breathing
• Increased heart rate
• Elevated blood pressure
• Tense muscles
• Sweating

This is considered a stress response. If your body reacts quickly, you might tense up or reach out with your arms and hands to break your fall. Unfortunately, that “bracing” can lead to other injury complications.

In the immediate aftermath of the fall, you will assess where you might be injured based on the point of impact and what caused the injury. For instance, getting up might mean slipping again if you slipped on a wet floor at a grocery store. You need to know what is happening around you in order to process what your next step should be.

How You Can Get Injured in a Slip and Fall Accident

Determining the extent of your injuries in a slip-and-fall accident depends on where you land. Did you fall forward, backward, or on your side? Where was the point of impact? What did you fall on? The following are some examples of the injuries you could sustain in a slip and fall accident:

Bruises

A bruise is also referred to as a contusion. As the Mayo Clinic details, most bruises form when the impact breaks blood vessels near your skin’s surface. When this rupture occurs, blood leaks from the vessels and appears as the “black and blue” mark at the point of impact. As the days pass, your body reabsorbs the blood, and the mark vanishes.

Bruises are common in falls and look much worse than they feel. However, there are some situations where bruising could be an indication of internal organ damage. That is why it is important to see your doctor after a slip and fall accident, even if you have just experienced minor aches and bruising.

Scrapes and Cuts

Depending on the surface you fall on, you could experience scrapes and cuts. If you fall on broken glass, metal, or plastic, it could mean a deep cut that requires stitches. That also increases the risk of a potential infection.

Sprains, Fractures, and Broken Bones

Other common injuries from a slip and fall are sprains, fractures, and broken bones. These are injuries that happen at the point of impact. Imagine the pressure of your body weight landing on your wrist or ankle. The less severe injury is the sprain. A fracture is when the bone cracks without necessarily separating, as it would with a broken bone.

Dislocation

A dislocation occurs when the force of a fall dislocates your bones from their resting place. In many instances, the bones can be popped back into place. However, with more severe injuries, surgery might be required to reset the bones and repair the surrounding ligaments.

Pulled Muscles or Stretched Tendons

All your bones are wrapped with muscles and tendons. That is how they are able to move when you move. In a fall, you can pull or stretch muscles and tendons. That can lead to intense pain. Surgery and physical therapy might be required to repair those muscles.

Spinal Injury

If you fall on your back, your spinal cord can become damaged. That can mean a slipped disc, nerve damage, or fractured vertebra. In extreme accidents, the spinal cord could become permanently damaged.

Head Injuries

If you can’t break your fall with your arms, your head might strike the ground. That can result in a head injury that is as mild as a bump or as serious as a traumatic brain injury (TBI). That type of injury can trigger painful headaches, nausea, loss of balance, and dizziness.

Getting Reimbursed for Losses

The injuries associated with a slip and fall accident can lead to expensive medical bills, ongoing therapy, lost time from work, and chronic pain. Those are all the damages you are entitled to recover if your slip and fall accident was caused by the property owner’s negligence.

The best approach to knowing if your slip-and-fall accident is actionable is to speak with the attorneys at Pittman, Roberts & Welsh, PLLC. We have successfully negotiated settlements for many clients who had legitimate premises liability claims. Get the answers to make an informed decision about your claim.