How to Protect Yourself During a Fall

Injuries from uneven floors, wet walkways, and loose carpeting are all grounds for a premises liability claim. Property owners are supposed to keep the premises safe for others. When they neglect to do their duty, people can get hurt.

If you’ve been injured on someone else’s property, a Milwaukee premises liability lawyer from Urban & Taylor can help. Your injuries could be keeping you from working. We will fight to get you compensation for your injuries. With a favorable settlement, you can focus on your recovery.

Common Fall Injuries

Slip and falls can happen anywhere with an unsafe surface. This could be from debris on the floor, like clutter or wires, or if there was a spill and liquid has made the surface slippery. When floors are uneven or contain holes or unanchored carpets, people can trip, fall, and hurt themselves.

Fall injuries can include:

• Head Injuries. People can hit their head on objects as they fall or hit the ground. The impact can cause dangerous injuries. Minor bumps to the head can still have serious repercussions. Concussions can impair cognitive functions. Major head injuries can case swelling or bleeding.
• Back/Spine Injuries. Injuring your back or spine could affect your mobility or cause chronic pain. Severe injuries could have permanent repercussions, like paralysis.
• Broken Bones or Sprains. It’s common for people to try and break their fall. They may try to catch themselves with their hand. The impact of the fall can break bones or cause sprains.
• Cuts or Bruises. Minor falls like tripping on a sidewalk can damage the first layers of skin and cause cuts or bruises.

How Can You Reduce Fall Injuries?

When you’re falling, you don’t have a lot of time to process the information and protect yourself. But if you know beforehand what you should do in case you fall, you may be able to rely on memory so you can reduce the amount or severity of fall injuries.

• Don’t Break Your Fall. When you try to break the fall, you’re putting all the force of the fall on one point of your body. This will likely cause an injury. Try to turn to your side to prevent back or front injuries.
• Protect Your Head. Your priority should be to protect your head. In a fall, tuck your chin down and protect your head with your arms.
• Don’t Tense Up. This is easier said than done. If you keep your body loose, you can absorb more impact. Tensed, tight muscles won’t absorb the impact and will have a higher chance of getting injured.
• Roll When You Fall. Combining turning to your side and staying loose, rolling when you fall can spread out the impact of the fall.

While it’s important to know how to protect yourself in a fall, you may also think about preventing the fall in the first place. Wearing stable footwear and watching where you step could help you avoid fall situations. If you see an area where you need to walk isn’t well-lit, you should try and find a flashlight or another way to increase your visibility of the area.