St. Petersburg Accident Blog

Fall Accidents Among Senior Citizens in Florida

Falls can be serious and every year thousands of senior citizens are injured by these accidents.  According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), more than one third of adults age 65 and older fall each year in the United States.  The problem is so severe that falls are the leading cause of injury deaths among senior citizens and the most frequent cause of nonfatal injuries and hospitalizations.

How many older adults are affected by fall accidents?  The CDC reports that 15,800 people 65 and older died from fall injuries and 1.8 million were treated in emergency departments for nonfatal injuries from falls in 2007.  Among those injured, 433,000 were hospitalized.  The number of deaths caused by falls has increased dramatically over the last decade.

According to the CDC, 20 to 30 percent of fall victims sustain moderate to severe injuries, including bruises, hip fractures and head traumas.  Falls are also considered to be the leading cause of traumatic brain injuries.  In 2000, traumatic brain injuries accounted for 46 percent of fatal falls among senior citizens. 

Statistics show that men are more likely to die from a fall than women, but women are more likely to sustain a nonfatal fall injury.  Older women are twice as likely to suffer from a fall-related fracture as men in the same age group.

Even when an older adult is not injured in a fall accident, he or she may still experience emotional stress, as a fear of falling develops.  This fear can cause older adults to restrict their activities, which can lead to reduced mobility and physical fitness.

*Source: U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Falls Among Older Adults: An Overview

Fall Accidents Can Result in Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI)

It’s hard to imagine that a slip and fall accident can lead to serious injuries, including a traumatic brain injury (TBI).  Most people associate fall accidents with broken bones, bruises or sprains, but according to the Brain Injury Association of America, falls are a leading cause of traumatic brain injury, accounting for 28 percent of TBI cases every year.

A traumatic brain injury disrupts the function of the brain and can cause major problems for the victim.  For example, TBI can affect language, thinking, learning, sensation, emotions and behavior.  In some cases, traumatic brain injury has resulted in epilepsy and can increase the risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease and other serious brain disorders.

When someone slips and falls, if there is a sudden blow or jolt to the head, it can cause irreversible brain damage.  Even though treatment is available for a patient with a traumatic brain injury, the injury can still be life-altering.  Surgery is often required for victims of traumatic brain injury and rehabilitation is commonly used to improve their situation.

Medical treatment for TBI caused by a fall accident can be expensive over the victim’s lifetime.  If the slip and fall accident occurred on someone else’s property, including office buildings, parking lots, grocery stores and apartments complexes, the property owner can be held liable.  When a property owner is found to be responsible for the injuries, compensation can be pursued, which will help cover the costs of medical treatment and lost income.

If you have been injured in a slip and fall accident or have a family member who has sustained a traumatic brain injury resulting from a fall, contact the Law Offices of William K. Saron at (866) 836-4947 or (727) 345-4566.

The article, “Traumatic Brain Injury Caused By Slip and Fall Accident,” has more information on this topic.

Can a Property Owner be Responsible for Your Injuries?

Did you slip and fall at a mall, grocery store, parking lot, workplace or other location?  If so, you may be wondering if you can hold the property owner responsible for your injuries.  Slip and fall and trip and fall injuries can be serious, resulting in high medical costs and time away from work.  You need to know your legal rights following a slip and fall accident.

Slip and fall accidents fall under a legal category known as premises liability.  Property owners owe a legal duty of reasonable care to keep their premises free from danger.  According to Florida law, a business owner has the responsibility to “maintain the premises in a reasonably safe condition for the safety of business invitees on the premises, which includes reasonable efforts to keep the premises free from transitory foreign objects or substances that might foreseeably give rise to loss, injury or damage.”

There are certain things that you have to prove in order to receive compensation from a property owner.  Some of the questions that will need to be answered include:

• Did the person in control of the property owe you a duty?
  
• Did the property owner act negligently by failing to exercise reasonable care in the “maintenance, inspection, repair, warning or mode of operation of the business premises?”
  
• Did the property owner fail to provide reasonable care, which ultimately caused you loss, injury or damage?

The first question can be answered by reviewing the categories of visitors on a property, which include invitees, licensees and trespassers.  A licensee is someone who has a reason to believe the property is open for use, such as in the situation of a customer shopping at a retail store.  A licensee is someone who is on the property for any other reason other than commercial or business use.  A trespasser is a person who is on the property without expressed or implied invitation or permission.  In most circumstances, a property owner owes the duty of reasonable care to invitees, licensees and known trespassers.  Also, a property owner cannot intentionally harm a trespasser.

If you have been injured on someone else’s property, contact a Florida slip and fall attorney who can review your case to determine who was liable.  Call the Law Offices of William K. Saron at (727) 345-4566 or (866) 836-4947 for expert legal advice.

The article, Property Owner’s Responsibility for Injuries, has more information regarding this subject. 

Back Injuries Caused By Florida Car Accidents & Falls Can Be Serious

Back pain can often indicate a serious problem, such as a herniated disc, spine fracture or spinal cord injury.  When a back injury is caused by a car accident, fall or other sudden event, it is important to seek medical attention immediately.

Pain associated with a back injury can last for several years.  Some back injury victims experience pain and discomfort for decades and others face permanent disabilities resulting from the injury.  The amount of pain from a back injury can vary depending on the cause of the accident.  Those who are forced to deal with back pain on a daily basis find that it takes away from their ability to function normally and may even prevent them from working in the same capacity as before the injury occurred.

Back pain can be caused by an injury to the ligaments or muscles, a spine dislocation, torn or ruptured disc or nerve compression known as cauda equine syndrome.  If the pain is caused by a spinal cord injury, it can lead to permanent paralysis.

A physician will try to determine the cause of the back pain by conducting diagnostic studies, including x-rays, CT scans and MRI scans, as well as a physical exam.  Usually rehabilitation and physical therapy are recommended to improve the function of the back, but in some situations, surgery is required.  Surgery is an option when a nerve is pinched, the spinal cord is compressed or there is too much movement between the bones in the spine.

The article, “Serious Back Injuries from Car Crashes and Slip and Fall Accidents,” has more information on back injuries.

If you have sustained a back injury from a fall or car accident, you may be entitled to compensation.  Contact the Law Offices of William K. Saron at (866) 836-4947 or (727) 345-4566.