A Slip And Fall Accident Could Result In Paralysis

A Slip And Fall Accident Could Result In Paralysis

Key Takeaways

• Slip and fall accidents cause serious injuries beyond broken bones. These incidents can result in spinal cord damage or traumatic brain injury severe enough to cause temporary or permanent paralysis.
• Paralysis occurs when brain-to-muscle communication is disrupted. Falls that impact the head or spine can damage nerve pathways, preventing the brain from sending signals that control movement in affected body parts.
• Property hazards create preventable fall risks. Poor lighting, slippery surfaces, broken walkways, loose carpeting, missing handrails, and blocked pathways are common environmental factors that lead to devastating falls.
• The type of paralysis depends on injury location. Brain injuries typically cause paralysis on the opposite side of the body, while spinal cord damage affects areas below the injury site—from single limbs to complete quadriplegia.
• Property owners can be held liable for fall-related paralysis. If negligent maintenance or hazardous conditions caused your injury, an experienced slip and fall attorney can protect your rights and pursue full compensation for life-altering injuries.

A slip and fall accident is understood to occur anytime in which a party is injured while on the premises of another party.¹ Slip, trip, and fall accidents normally occur due to human or environmental factors. Some of the leading behavioral causes behind slip and fall accidents include encountering spills, footwear with poor traction, rapid or careless walking due to distractions such as talking to electronic use, and poor visibility or an impaired line of sight.² Environmental factors that increase the likelihood for a slip and fall accident include poor lighting, slippery surfaces, cracked or broken sidewalks, loose carpeting or rugs, missing handrails, and debris or obstacles blocking the walkways.³

Injuries from a Slip and Fall Accident

A slip and fall accident can result in a range of injuries from minor cuts and scrapes to more severe damage such as pulled muscles, stretched tendons, sprained and broken wrists, arms, legs, or ankles, tailbone fractures, head and brain trauma, and spinal cord injury. In some cases, damage sustained to the body during a slip and fall can result in paralysis.

What is Paralysis and How Can It Be Caused By a Fall

Paralysis is the complete or partial loss of function in the body.⁴ Paralysis affects the ability of the brain to communicate with the body by inhibiting the ability to send messages to the muscles.⁵ Paralysis is classified based on the region that is affected: monoplegia when one limb is affected, hemiplegia when the arm and leg on the same side of the leg are affected, paraplegia when both legs and other areas of the lower portion of the body are affected, and tetraplegia or quadriplegia when both arms and legs are affected.⁶ Paralysis can occur during a fall when he spinal cord or brain sustains the impact. For instance, the brain functions as the control center for bodily movements, but during a fall the brainstem is turned and twisted causing an interruption to the nerve pathways and loss of consciousness which is responsible for the resulting paralysis.⁷ Damage sustained to the brain normally paralysis in the alternative side of the body.⁸ For example, if the left side of the brain suffers a trauma then messages being sent to the muscles will be impaired on the right side of the body, resulting in paralysis. Outside of head trauma, spinal cord injury during a slip and fall is another major source of paralysis. The spinal cord is a bundle of thick nerves running from the brain, inside a canal of vertebrae, designed to send messages throughout the body.⁹ Any damage sustained to the central nervous system's spinal cord can destroy the pathway used to transmit signals and cause the resulting paralysis.¹⁰

Contact an Experienced St. Louis Personal Injury Attorney for a Free Consultation

If you have suffered harm or loss due to a slip and fall accident, it is important to discuss the circumstances of your injury with an experienced slip and fall attorney who can help to protect your legal rights and interests. To contact a personal injury attorney for a free consultation please feel free to call The Bruning Law Firm at 314-735-8100.

Resources:

1. https://www.findlaw.com/injury/torts-and-personal-injuries/slip-and-fall.html
2. https://www.hse.gov.uk/slips/human-factors.htm
3. https://www.hse.gov.uk/slips/environment.htm
4. https://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/paralysis.html
5. https://www.news-medical.net/health/What-is-Paralysis.aspx
6. https://www.christopherreeve.org/site/c.mtKZKgMWKwG/b.4453215/k.9E34/Brain_Injury.htm
7. https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/paralysis/pages/causes.aspx