A broken bone or fracture sustained in a slip-and-fall incident may not seem like a particularly serious injury. Most fractures respond well to medical care. People who receive timely treatment often make a full recovery after breaking a bone.
After a slip-and-fall at a store or restaurant, an injured business patron may potentially have grounds for a premises liability lawsuit. They can pursue compensation for their medical expenses and other injury-related losses. Contrary to what people sometimes assume, breaking a bone can be a very expensive experience.
Fractures take time to heal
Even a simple, stable fracture is technically a major injury. The body cannot heal instantaneously, and the injured person requires treatment. After medical professionals set and stabilize the body part, the injured person usually needs to keep the affected limb or extremity immobilized until it heals.
That generally requires a minimum of eight weeks, sometimes much longer. The medical care required to treat a fracture can range from X-rays and the application of a cast to physical therapy, pain medication and even surgery in more severe cases. The medical costs of a slip-and-fall fracture could add up to tens of thousands of dollars.
The injured person may also sustain significant lost wages. If they work in the service sector or in a blue-collar profession, they may not be able to return to their job until they have fully healed and recovered their strength and range of motion. The combination of medical expenses and lost wages can go well beyond what people initially anticipate.
Partnering with a personal injury attorney can be helpful for those with slip-and-fall fractures and other major injuries. Businesses that are negligent about facility maintenance may be liable when visitors get hurt.