When people slip, they usually try to break their fall with their hands. In many ways, this is smart because it will protect the head, back, and face from serious injury. However, the force of the impact will likely cause a break at the weakest point in the arm, usually the hand or the wrist. If you have been hurt in a slip and fall due to the negligence of another party, you may be able to receive compensation for your expenses and losses.
Trust our skilled team at the Salamati Law Firm to be your advocate during this challenging time. We understand how a hand or wrist injury can result in missed days of work, financial instability, and a stack of medical bills. Contact us today for a free consultation. We welcome the opportunity to answer your questions and assess your case.
Hand and Wrist Injuries in Slip and Fall Accidents are Complex
The hand and the wrist are comprised of bones, nerves, tendons, muscles, ligaments, and blood vessels. They are structured to allow you to move, flex, rotate your wrist, and grab and touch objects. There are 19 bones in each of your hands. Your wrist is made of eight bones that are arranged into two rows.
A slip and fall injury can damage one or more of these essential, interrelated parts of your anatomy. Hand and wrist injuries from falling can be very painful. They often limit your range of motion, making it painful or even impossible to perform essential tasks such as eating, dressing, cooking, or driving.
A wrist or hand injury may also limit your ability to work for an extended period. You may require surgery. All of these factors will be considered in your potential claim for damages.
What to Do After a Hand or Wrist Injury From a Fall
The steps you take after injuring your hand or wrist in a fall are important. The sooner you act, the more likely you are to not only protect your health but also preserve the evidence needed to win a personal injury lawsuit. Even small missteps during this process can have lasting consequences.
Seek medical attention
Nothing is more important than your health and well-being. If you hurt your hand or wrist in a fall, you should seek medical treatment right away. This is the case even if the injury seems minor or superficial at first. The human body is able to mask pain in the aftermath of a traumatic event, so it is possible that your injury is worse than you realize. The sooner you see a doctor and begin your treatment plan, the better your chances for a full recovery become.
Seeing your doctor is important for your health and the strength of your injury case. Documenting your injuries immediately after the fall can go a long way toward proving that they occurred during the incident and are as serious as you have alleged.
Document the incident
If your health allows it, documenting the scene of your fall is a crucial step. The more information you have about the circumstances surrounding the incident, the more likely you are to secure a favorable settlement. This starts with identifying the hazard that caused your fall and taking photographs, if possible.
If you have the chance to do so, speaking with witnesses is also worthwhile. Should your case ever go to court, juries are more likely to listen to testimony from a neutral witness compared to that of the parties involved in the lawsuit.
You are likely not the only party that will make note of your injury. The place where you fell—whether it is a grocery store, government building, or other place of business—is likely to file a formal report related to the incident. It is a good idea to request a copy of the report they make.
Notify your employer as needed
Depending on where your accident occurred, it may be necessary to notify your employer. If you were hurt at work or even on the grounds of your place of employment, you should let your supervisor know as soon as possible. You can skip this step if your wrist injury from fall occurred elsewhere.
Maintain records
In order to build a winning case for compensation, it is important that you retain all of the relevant records related to your injury. This starts with any incident reports generated by the owner or operator of the building where you fell. You should also keep copies of your medical records at hand, as well as any documentation regarding your other expenses. Having this information available as needed can dramatically reduce delays during the personal injury claim process.
Seek legal counsel Once your medical issues have been dealt with, your next step should be to speak with legal counsel. Your attorney can evaluate how your fall occurred and determine who is at fault. They can aggressively pursue a fair settlement on your behalf and file a personal injury lawsuit if negotiations fall apart. The attorney you select can have an oversized impact on the outcome of your case.
What Are the Most Common Hand Injuries After a Slip and Fall Accident?
As noted above, in a slip-and-fall accident, our natural human instinct is to thrust our hands forward to break our fall. These are called FOOSH injuries, which means “Fall Onto Outstretched Hands Injury.” Our hands were not meant to absorb such an impact. Several kinds of wrist fractures are common, which are described below.
Wrist Fractures
The most common wrist fractures include the following:
- A scaphoid fracture is a break in a small bone of the wrist. It is one of the most common injuries from falling. Symptoms include pain and swelling of the hand below the thumb area. It is very serious. Your hand must be immobilized in a cast. There is also a risk of decreased blood flow (osteonecrosis), which is dangerous for surrounding bones and tissue in your wrist.
- An avulsion fracture is when your bone moves one way, and your tendon or ligament moves another way with a piece of bone. These fractures are common FOOSH injuries and are very painful. They require surgery when the bone is more than two centimeters away.
- A Colles fracture affects the radius, the larger of the two bones between your elbow and wrist. Typically, the break is about 2.5 centimeters below where the bone joins the wrist. If it is severe, you may require surgery to insert screws and plates to mobilize it.
Wrist Sprain
As strong as the ligaments in the wrist are, they can easily become hyperextended and damaged during a fall. In severe cases, the ligament may be completely torn. This type of injury can be associated with another complication: an avulsion fracture. This occurs when the ligament takes a chip away from the bone as the ligament breaks. Some wrist sprains can be treated successfully with noninvasive treatments, while others require surgical intervention.
Fractured Hands and Fingers
At Salamati Law, our Los Angeles personal injury lawyer frequently handles slip and fall cases involving fractured hands. Including the wrist, the human hand has 27 bones. In addition to the eight carpal bones, the hand contains 14 phalanges (finger bones) and five metacarpal bones (the bones in the middle of the hand, above the carpal bones). Any of these can sustain a fracture during a fall.
Quite often, when a metacarpal bone is broken, it is fractured in multiple places. In addition, there is a risk of improper healing, which can lead to chronic pain when making a fist. A broken finger can also lead to long-term complications.
Thumb Sprain
In contrast to a strain, which involves a muscle, a sprain is an injury that affects a ligament. The ligaments connect two bones together. A thumb sprain can occur when the ligaments supporting it become hyperextended, stretching beyond their capacity. Thumb sprains most commonly occur when individuals fall onto outstretched hands. In severe cases, surgery may be required.
Sprained or Dislocated Fingers
Sprained finger injuries are sometimes treatable with anti-inflammatories and ice packs. Seek medical attention for a dislocated finger. Surgery may be necessary when there are torn ligaments as well as dislocation.
The Importance of Seeking Medical Attention
Seek immediate medical attention after a hand or wrist injury from falling. X-rays should reveal the full extent of the damage. Early treatment is essential to help heal and establish that your injuries were caused by your slip and fall accident, which will help your personal injury claim.
Compensation for Wrist and Hand Injuries After a Slip and Fall Accident
An injury settlement following fall on outstretched hand is more than just a single sum of money negotiated between the parties. It is a collection of different types of damages based on the physical, emotional, and financial losses you face due to your injury.
The details of a hand injury are very different compared to a wrist injury. That said, you will largely be entitled to the same types of damages for both conditions. An understanding of the types of monetary awards available for one injury will inform you of what your case might be worth for the other. Some of the types of compensation available include the following:
Medical Care
A major consideration in these cases is slip and fall medical bills. The complex nature of these injuries can require extensive, ongoing medical treatment. If you do not have insurance coverage of your own, medical debt can add up quickly.
The good news is that these settlements include the cost of treatments like emergency room visits, surgical procedures, hospitalization, pain management, and more. Additionally, you have the right to seek not only compensation for the bills you have accrued since the fall, but also for any future care as well. It is important to wait to settle your claim until you have a clear picture of your future medical needs.
Pain and Suffering
One of the common outcomes from a fall—particularly involving hand or wrist injuries—is severe, lingering pain. This usually involves sprained ligaments or muscles, which can lead to pain and swelling that takes time to heal. In more serious injuries, fractures can lead to months of pain and limited mobility. While these sensations cannot be measured objectively, the right attorney could show a jury what your pain and suffering claim is worth.
Lost Wages
Suffering a serious injury can make it impossible for you to earn a living in some cases. You might miss out on your primary source of income for weeks, months, or even longer, depending on the circumstances. The good news is that you might be able to recoup your lost wages by filing a personal injury lawsuit. Your attorney can establish the value of your claim based on your employment records.
Diminished Future Earning Power
When you are hurt in a fall, some of the health consequences can follow you for the rest of your life. Even if you are able to return to the workforce, your disability might prevent you from filling certain roles or performing specific tasks. This can dramatically reduce the amount of money you can expect to earn in the future. You could be entitled to compensation based on the wages you are likely to miss out on moving forward. This is calculated by considering your current wage compared to what you would have earned had you not been hurt.
How Hand and Wrist Injuries Can Impact a Fall Settlement
When you pursue a personal injury claim after a fall, the extent of a hand or wrist injury can dramatically impact the value of your settlement. Often, the cost of treating these injuries can be more costly than other conditions resulting from a fall. Damage to your hand or wrist can require complex surgeries that dramatically increase your medical bills.
In addition to the cost of emergency medical care following a fall, you may also be entitled to damages based on your need for ongoing treatment for your hand, wrist, or elbow injury. In fact, the cost of treating wrist and hand injuries from a fall over the course of months or even years can be detrimental to a family’s budget.
How Can a Slip and Fall Lawyer Help Win My Case?
When you experience a wrist or hand injury from a fall, you may be unable to work for an extended period. If we believe you have a claim, we will negotiate for a settlement against the negligent owner or operator of the premises where you were injured. We can also interview witnesses, collect evidence, hire expert witnesses, and file the required paperwork.
The severity of your injury is a prominent factor in your potential compensation. For example, a sprain will impact your life less than a scaphoid fracture. Each case is evaluated individually.
Contact the Salamati Law Firm for a Free Consultation
At Salamati Law Firm, we understand the far-reaching ramifications of a severe slip and fall injury to the hand or wrist. We use our extensive knowledge of premises liability law to fight for you. We keep you abreast of every milestone in your claim as we document the damages you’ve sustained and strive to maximize your legal recovery. Contact our Los Angeles slip and fall lawyers for a free consultation. We work on a contingency basis, so there are no upfront legal fees.