Florida is a relatively wet state, and the Orlando region is no exception. In any given year, the Orlando area averages substantially more rainfall than the average U.S. city. All of that precipitation can lead to wet floors and an increased risk for a slip-and-fall incident when visiting a business.
Whether you stop by to see your accountant or pop into a Publix to pick up some groceries, improper or negligent maintenance of the facility could mean that the floors remain wet and that you wind up slipping and getting hurt.
Although slip and falls may seem like humorous, relatively minor accidents, the potential exists for people to suffer serious injuries if they fall. In fact, slip-and-fall incidents send roughly a million people to emergency rooms every year in the United States.
Broken bones are risk whenever someone falls
A broken bone may be the injury you imagine someone suffering if they slip on a wet spot and fall to the floor. Someone could break their arm by attempting to catch themselves or because their limbs flail in a desperate attempt to regain their balance during the fall, striking objects or fixtures nearby.
People could also break bones in their hands, feet or legs in a similar manner. Older adults with lower bone density could suffer even more significant fractures, such as a break in their hip bone after a fall. Broken bones can mean thousands of dollars in medical bills and lost wages during recovery.
People who strike their heads could wind up with brain injuries
A slip-and-fall incident typically occurs within a matter of a few seconds, meaning that the victim doesn’t have enough time to react and protect themselves. It is possible for someone to strike their head on the floor, on a shopping cart, or on fixtures or furniture nearby when they fall.
A blow to the head, especially one that produces temporary unconsciousness, could result in the swelling or bruising of the brain and a traumatic brain injury. People often don’t notice immediate symptoms after a brain injury, as it takes a while for the bruising to affect brain function.
The potential for serious injuries is one reason why anyone who slips and falls in a store should report what happened before they leave the premises. That way, if symptoms of an injury show up later, they will have a record of the incident that led to their injury.
