A slip-and-fall accident can cause far more harm than a few moments of embarrassment. A sudden, hard fall can result in serious injuries, including a debilitating hip fracture. When a fall was preventable and occurred on someone else’s property, the injured victim may be entitled to recover compensation for their damages.
An experienced Marysville slip and fall lawyer can investigate the circumstances of the accident, identify all liable parties, and pursue full compensation on your behalf, available for medical expenses, lost income, pain and suffering, and other losses
How Do Slip-and-Falls Cause Hip Fractures?
According to orthopedic medical professionals, hip fractures occur primarily when a slip-and-fall victim lands on their side, with direct impact on the hip. The top of the femur has a bony protrusion known as the greater trochanter on the outer side of the thigh bone. When a slip-and-fall causes trauma to the bony prominence of the hip, or to the ball or socket of the hip joint, the result can be a fracture.
Hip fractures are more than just painful and temporarily debilitating; in elderly fall victims, a hip fracture can have life-altering adverse consequences or lead to death. An alarming medical research study reports that almost 25% of older patients with hip fractures die within one year of the fracture. Most hip fracture deaths result from the complications of prolonged immobility or from hip surgery complications.
Common Causes of Washington Slip-and-Fall Accidents
When something interferes with a person’s gait or prevents the foot from having proper traction with the ground or floor surface, the result can be a sudden loss of balance and a hard fall. Hip fractures are one of the most common and devastating outcomes of a slip-and-fall accident. The most common causes of Washington slip-and-fall accidents include the following:
- Wet or slippery floors
- Broken or uneven floorboards or tiles
- Cracked or broken pavement
- Loose or rolled carpets or floor mats
- Icy walkways or steps
- Loose debris, such as gravel in parking lots or spilled dry goods in stores
- Insufficient lighting
- Broken steps or stairs
- Missing or inadequate handrails in nursing homes or hospitals
- Improper cleaning products that leave a slippery surface
- Unmarked floor level changes, like step-ups and step-downs
When a slip-and-fall accident could have been prevented with a property owner’s reasonable care, the property owner can be held liable for damages. Damages in hip fracture cases are often extensive.
Recovering Damages In a Washington Slip-and-Fall Hip Fracture Case
A hip fracture almost always requires surgical intervention, followed by a lengthy period of immobility or limited mobility to allow healing.
Damages add up quickly after a hip fracture, often including the following:
- Reimbursement for medical expenses
- Future medical costs for physical therapy
- Out-of-pocket costs, such as for mobility equipment and travel to see specialists
- Lost earnings
- Future income loss
- Compensation for pain and suffering
- Catastrophic injury compensation for loss of enjoyment of life or diminished quality of life
In the worst outcomes, a hip fracture from a slip-and-fall in Washington can result in wrongful death.
Call Wells Trumbull About Your Slip-and-Fall Hip Fracture in Washington
If a slip-and-fall accident happens on someone else’s property due to the property owner or manager’s lack of reasonable care, you have the right to seek compensation for your damages. Call today or contact Wells Trumbull to schedule a free consultation for prompt legal action on your behalf.