What is a Slip and Fall Accident?

December 7, 2022

Table of Contents

Slip and fall accidents can happen every day. Anybody can be injured from a slip and fall accident, including the elderly, young, healthy, and infirm. The resulting injuries may vary from bruises or broken bones to serious head trauma. Someone perfectly healthy and mobile may have a slip-and-fall accident and suddenly face years of physical pain, mental anguish, and financial difficulties.

Slip and fall accidents can also occur anywhere. The location of the slip and fall may be somewhere the injured person is familiar with and experiences daily or a place the victim has never been before. And although an injury from a slip and fall can arise from just about any situation, many injuries can be prevented when appropriate precautions are taken by both the property owner and the patron or visitor on the owner’s property.

Whether you are a home, business owner, or patron visiting these places, it is important to recognize the causes of slip and fall accidents and how to avoid them.

Learn about slip and fall accidents, their causes, and how to avoid them.

Common Causes of Slip and Fall Accidents

An important step in preventing slip and fall accidents is understanding their causes. These circumstances typically arise from a property owner's failure to maintain their property or failure to warn others of potential dangers. However, individuals should be mindful of how their own actions can contribute to slip and fall accidents. Here are just a few of the ways individuals put themselves at increased risk:

Improper Footwear

Shoes that don't fit correctly or have inadequate traction with the ground may give pedestrians a hard time walking in unfamiliar areas such as slippery floors.

Distracted Navigation

Chatting with other people, using a cell phone, and simply not paying attention can cause someone to lose focus on where they are walking, leading to a fall injury.

Excessive Focus on Surroundings

By centering their attention on the surroundings, visitors may be sufficiently distracted to disregard the dangerous conditions in front of them and lose their footing. For example, shoppers scanning through the groceries on the shelves or patrons observing the surrounding scenery may be more susceptible to slipping and falling, resulting in serious injury.

Rushing From One Place to Another

Quick movements and hurried steps increase the risk of a fall by someone trying to get to their next destination without taking proper care of their safety.

How Can Slip and Fall Accidents Be Avoided?

To reduce the potential hazards that cause slips, trips, and falls, there are ways property/business owners can proactively manage their workplace environment to help lower incidents of injury to employees and customers. Individuals can also protect their own safety by:

Limiting Distractions

Keep your attention focused on what you're doing, and put away mobile devices, food, and drinks until you arrive at your destination. If a co-worker needs to talk, stop and have the conversation or table it until later.

Wearing Safe and Secure Attire for Existing Conditions

The soles of your footwear act in very similar ways to the tires on your vehicle. Footwear with slippery soles can cause you to trip, like bald tires can cause hydroplaning. To prevent slip and fall injury, wear footwear with slip-resistant soles appropriate to the task and environment in which you will be working.

Slowing Down

Hurrying is a common factor in slips, trips, and falls. Walk slowly and take shorter steps to ensure your feet keep their grip on the walking surface. Be cautious when working from a wet floor, dangerous surface, or elevated positions. Always maintain 3 points of contact (two hands/one foot or two feet/one hand) with a ladder, tractor steps, etc.

Being Mindful of and Adhering to Warnings and Safety Signs

Do not ignore hazard warning signs. These signs are used to protect you and others from harm. Make a wise decision and find a path around the hazard area as instructed.

3 Common Slip and Fall Injuries

Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI)

Since the movement happens so quickly, the individual often doesn’t have the time to prepare for their fall, resulting in a blow to the back of the head. Depending on how hard the injured person's head hits the ground, they may suffer a traumatic brain injury.

Herniated Disks

The spine is composed of a long line of small bones. Between each of those small bones is a soft material called a disk that cushions the bones in the spinal cord. A herniated disk occurs when the disk slips from its intended position between the small bones in the spine. These spinal cord injuries can cause numbness, pain, and weakness in the arms and legs.

Broken Hips

Broken hips are one of the most common injuries in trip and fall cases. This injury can cause immobility and extreme discomfort and may require both surgery and physical therapy in Tampa.

How Physical Rehabilitation Can Help

When you suffer from an injury due to slipping or falling in Tampa, call your physical rehabilitation experts at Palm Wellness Center immediately. Even a seemingly slight bump to the head can lead to a more dangerous condition. What may seem like a simple stiff neck shouldn’t be ignored. Your physician can give you a full evaluation and recommend a treatment plan to aid you in a full recovery.

Your team of medical professionals at Palm Wellness Center will customize a treatment plan so you can recover from your injuries – and you will receive a top-level customer service experience that you can only receive from your team at Palm Wellness Center.

Call Palm Wellness to Schedule Your Rehabilitation Session

If you have been injured from a trip and fall accident, prevent more serious injuries by getting immediate medical care.

The medical professionals at Palm Wellness Center are here for you. We can provide you with an accurate diagnosis and develop a treatment plan. Get immediate medical attention if: