Slip, trip, and fall accidents occur at an alarming rate in the U.S., and often are accompanied by painful complications. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, over 700,000 patients a year are hospitalized because of a fall injury, most often because of a head injury or hip fracture – and one out of five falls causes a serious injury such as these, including broken bones or head injuries.
Some common causes of slips, trips, and falls are the following:
- Surfaces that are wet or greasy
- Accidental spills of unknown liquids
- Weather, such as rain causing puddles or slick surfaces like ice, particularly ice that is transparent and seemingly invisible – a common occurrence in Chicago winters
- Surfaces where the terrain varies and changes the degree of friction, such as a sidewalk
- Too dark or too bright lighting conditions
- Disorganized home or work area with too much clutter
- Children’s toys or pets’ toys that on the ground
A description of some common broken bones and fractures is important to show the severity of these everyday injuries. Here are a few of the injuries we see most often:
- Broken arms account for almost half of all adult fractures.
- Collarbone fractures are a common injury for bicyclists and motorcyclists, but can occur when pedestrians slip and fall on icy cement as well.
- Broken ankles can occur when a slip and fall victim lands in an awkward position, twisting or extending the foot.
- Broken feet and toes make up about one in every ten fractures.
- A slip and fall that fracture one of the many small, fragile bones of the hand can be among the more disabling fractures.
- A broken leg is a fracture of the fibula, femur, tibia, or patella. These often occur when a slip, trip, or fall lands on an uneven surface, especially an icy surface.
- A broken nose may result from many different types of accidents, and is not uncommon in a slip, trip, and fall injury.
- Along with a broken nose, a broken jaw is often caused by a similar impact to the face that can happen in a slip, trip or fall.
If you’ve broken a bone because of another person’s negligence, you may be eligible for compensation. Our staff of outstanding attorneys at Sexner Injury Lawyers LLC has helped thousands of Chicago clients recover money for medical aid, physical therapy costs, lost income, pain, suffering, and more. Give us a call at (312) 243-9922.
