People can get hurt in a variety of different ways in Hawaiʻi. Some people develop injuries because of motor vehicle transportation. Others get hurt due to criminal activity. Sometimes, unsafe property conditions are what lead to people getting hurt. Slip-and-falls are also a consistent safety concern, and they are one that people often completely overlook. The average adult may be quite dismissive about how dangerous a slip-and-fall could be. They often fall into the trap of assuming that only a fall from a significant elevation would be cause for concern. However, same-level falls send roughly a million people to emergency rooms in the United States every single year. Despite what people often assume, several kinds of serious injuries can follow a slip-and-fall.

People can hurt their brains

In a slip-and-fall, one of the biggest risks is the possibility of trauma to the head. People could strike their heads on the floor, a shopping cart or any fixtures near them when they fall. It can take several days or even longer than that for people to develop diagnosable symptoms when they have a brain injury. Many of those symptoms could end up being permanent or getting worse without treatment. A brain injury can lead to massive medical expenses and decreased long-term earning potential.

People can break bones

Slip-and-falls often lead to people reacting with panic. They will try to catch themselves as they hurtle toward the floor. Unfortunately, the frantic attempt to avoid injury is often what leads to someone getting hurt. People can break bones in their arms and hands as well as their shoulder blades or collar bones in a slip-and-fall. If someone flails their legs, they could also suffer broken bones in their lower extremities. Not only are fractures often costly to treat, but they can impact someone’s ability to return to work or even travel home. A slip-and-fall is often the result of poor facility maintenance and could therefore lead to a lawsuit against a business or property owner who did not maintain facilities carefully. Those who fall may need to report the incident and seek evaluation by a medical professional before seeking legal guidance to explore their rights and options accordingly.