Thousands of New York residents are hurt in slip and fall accidents every year, but the injuries they suffer are not always immediately apparent to paramedics or emergency room doctors. Concussions are among the most commonly overlooked fall injuries. Symptoms of a concussion, such as disrupted sleep patterns, irritability and problems concentrating, sometimes appear several days after the trauma that caused them. This is a worry for medical professionals as these symptoms, which may be the signs of an extremely serious condition, are often put down to stress.
Soft tissue injuries
Soft tissue injuries may also be overlooked following a slip and fall accident. These injuries can be hard to diagnose because they are internal, which means there are no obvious signs of trauma such as cuts or bruises. Sprains, pulls and ligament tears can take weeks or even months to heal, and placing no further stress on the injured area is usually the first step on the road to recovery. However, this is unlikely to happen when people do not realize how badly they have been hurt.
Back injuries
Millions of Americans suffer from back issues that flare up from time to time. Serious falls often cause lower back injuries, but accident victims may put the associated pain down to an existing condition if they have suffered similar discomfort in the past.
Personal injury lawsuit damages
When accident victims file premises liability lawsuits, the amount of damages they are awarded will be based largely on the severity of their injuries and the amount of pain and suffering they caused. Damages may also be reduced when accident victims refused medical attention. This is why attorneys with experience in this area would likely advise all people injured in a slip and fall accident to visit an emergency room even if their injuries seem minor. Attorneys could also refer accident victims to specialists to find out if they have any undiagnosed injuries.