There are many ways for people to get hurt while out in public. Sometimes, people end up injured because of motor vehicle collisions on public roads. Other times, they could incur injuries during criminal activity, such as a mugging or an assault.
Another leading cause of injuries in public spaces is a same-level fall. Contrary to what people think, slip-and-falls or trip-and-falls, two common types of same-level falls, can be very serious incidents. People can sustain significant property damage losses when they fall and could even develop debilitating and expensive injuries.
Same-level falls can cause several kinds of injuries
Not everyone who experiences a same-level fall in a public location can just brush themselves off and walk away. Researchers estimate that around a million people in the United States every year seek treatment in the emergency room because they got hurt in a slip-and-fall or similar incident.
Same-level falls at businesses or other public locations often occur due to issues with facility maintenance, such as wet floors or spilled products at a store. Same-level falls can lead to someone flailing and giving themselves a soft tissue injury. They could break a limb if they strike something or try to catch themselves as they fall. People could also suffer blunt-force trauma, possibly even brain injuries, when they hit the floor in a same-level fall.
Those injuries could cost thousands of dollars in medical treatment and affect someone’s ability to work. Pursuing a premises liability claim against a business or negligent property owner could help someone cover the costs generated by a same-level fall.