How to Recover From a Fall Down the Stairs

Stairs in buildings offer accessibility and convenience. However, they can also be a site for injuries. A study shows that more than one million Americans sustain injuries on stairs each year.

Falling down the stairs can cause more harm than on a flat surface due to the increased force and speed, which results from the elevation changes with each step. This leads to a more powerful impact at the bottom, increasing the potential for sustaining serious injuries.

Public and property owners who fail to maintain safety on their staircases increase the likelihood of falls happening. Thus, it’s not always the victim’s fault. Various factors can contribute to a fall on stairs.

Immediate Steps After a Fall Down the Stairs

If you experience falling down the stairs, staying calm and acting quickly can reduce risks of serious injuries:

• Stay still and assess pain before moving to avoid further injury.
• Seek medical attention immediately if you suspect broken bones, spinal injuries, or internal bleeding.
• Call for help or use your phone if alone; don’t try to walk unaided.
• Stay warm while waiting for assistance to avoid shock.

Symptoms To Look for After a Fall

Assess your condition after you’ve fallen down the stairs, and look for signs of injury. Injury symptoms include:

• Pain
• Swelling
• Bruising
• Loss of consciousness
• Vomiting
• Headaches
• Limited range of mobility

Some injuries may be apparent, while other symptoms may not appear immediately. For example, injuries from falling include broken bones. A compound fracture is evident because the fractured bone sticks through your skin, but partial fractures aren’t visible. You may be able to walk after falling down stairs without realizing you fractured a leg bone, until your leg swells.  

Physical Recovery

Common injuries from falls include traumatic brain injuries (TBIs), broken bones, spinal cord injuries (SCIs), soft tissue damage, and bruising. Failing to treat injuries could cause complications that prolong your recovery. Taking appropriate steps ensures you recover as quickly as possible.

1. Seek Medical Attention

A broken bone, bruise on leg, or torn ligament can all cause swelling. Since multiple injuries can cause the same symptoms, you need to see a medical professional. Doctors have the medical knowledge and expertise to evaluate your condition and provide a comprehensive diagnosis. 

2. Take Medical Tests

Medical tests can verify your diagnosis and uncover issues that haven’t displayed symptoms yet. Taking medical tests is crucial because your test results verify the severity and nature of your injuries.

For example, back injuries from falling can cause back pain and reduced mobility. A hurt back could affect your ability to work or participate in everyday activities. You may recover from a bruised back within days by applying ice to the affected area and resting. However, spinal cord injuries can be severe, cause permanent disabilities, or require long-term physical therapy.

3. Follow the Treatment Recommendations

Your physician should advise a course of treatment, which could range from rest to surgery. Surgery may be a last resort if non-invasive treatment fails to yield results. Your doctor can outline your options and explain the pros and cons of each alternative to help you decide the best way to approach your recovery.

What Are Some Common Stair Fall Injuries?

Here are some of the common injuries from stairway falls:

1. Head Injuries

If you fall down the stairs and hit your head, the impact can cause the brain to move rapidly, leading to a mild to severe traumatic brain injury (TBI), such as a concussion, contusion, hematoma, or skull fractures. Symptoms of head injuries include headaches, dizziness, nausea, confusion, and memory loss.

2. Spinal Cord and Back Injuries

The sudden impact on your back and twisting motions of your body after falling on a staircase can lead to muscle strains and sprains, herniated discs, fractured vertebrae, and spinal cord injuries. Symptoms for these injuries are localized pain, numbness, tingling, and weakness in limbs.

3. Fractures and Broken Bones

The impact of landing on a hard surface can break your bones in the wrists, arms, ankles, hips, and legs. Symptoms to monitor after a stair fall for this type of injury are severe pain, swelling, deformity, and inability to bear weight.

4. Soft Tissue Injuries

The direct impact of a fall and twisting motions can cause soft tissue injuries, ranging from minor sprains and strains to severe tears of ligaments, tendons, or muscles. Symptoms for this injury include pain, swelling, and limited range of motion.

5. Internal Injuries

Although less common, internal injuries are a possibility after a fall down the stairs. Examples include internal bleeding and organ damage. Medical attention is needed after falling down the stairs because internal injuries can be life-threatening. 

Mental Recovery

Traumatic injuries can cause mental health issues, like depression and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Some people develop phobias, and those who suffer a severe injury after falling down the stairs may experience anxiety or panic attacks when attempting to use stairs after their accident.

Seeing a counselor can help with your recovery. Your therapist can help you process the trauma you experienced when you fell down. With counseling, some people can overcome their anxiety or phobias caused by their accidents.

The recovery process isn’t only physical – it also involves mental health:

1. Acknowledge Emotional Impact

Experiencing falling down the stairs can be traumatic. Recognize the emotional toll and allow yourself to process feelings of fear or anxiety. Accepting the impact is the first step toward building resilience and preventing future falls.

2. Seek Professional Support

Consult a medical professional or therapist if you struggle with anxiety, depression, or recurring fear after stair-related injuries. Professional guidance can help you manage stress, avoid chronic pain linked to tension, and support your overall healing process.

3. Practice Relaxation Techniques

Incorporate breathing exercises, meditation, or gentle yoga into your routine. These practices reduce stress and help you stay calm, easing worries about future falls and supporting both mental and physical aspects of the recovery process.

4. Be Part of Support Networks

Connecting with groups of older adults or others who have experienced stair related falls can provide encouragement. Sharing experiences helps normalize recovery challenges, offers coping strategies, and strengthens confidence in your ability to heal and move forward.

Financial Recovery

Costs from even minor injuries can add up quickly if you need a lot of medical tests and have to take time off work for those appointments. Medical costs can also skyrocket if you need physical therapy or surgery. Recovering from stair related falls often involves financial strain. Steps to manage include:

1. Document Medical Expenses

Keep detailed records of all medical expenses, including hospital bills, prescriptions, and physical therapy costs. Saving receipts and invoices ensures you have proof of the financial impact of falling down the stairs, strengthening any compensation claim.

2. Track Lost Income

If your injuries prevent you from working, carefully track lost wages and missed workdays. Documentation of income loss helps demonstrate the broader financial strain caused by stair related injuries, supporting claims for reimbursement and fair compensation.

3. Report the Accident Scene

Immediately report the accident scene to property owners or managers and request a written incident report. This documentation provides evidence of liability, especially if inadequate lighting or unsafe conditions contributed to falling down stairs and your resulting injuries.

4. Consult a Personal Injury Attorney

A slip-and-fall attorney can address financial issues stemming from your fall. Suppose you fell using school stairs with a broken handrail and without non-slip treads. Consequently, you couldn’t prevent yourself from falling on the slippery stairs by grabbing the handrail. In that case, a slip-and-fall attorney can work to prove the school was negligent for failing to take appropriate steps to prevent injuries on the stairs.

Your slip-and-fall attorney can also handle the paperwork and investigation, and pursue litigation on your behalf, so you don’t have to navigate the legal system on your own. 

Medical Treatments and Scans You Might Undergo

When receiving medical attention, your doctor might perform scans, such as:

• X-rays to detect fractures, dislocations, and misalignment.
• Computed tomography (CT) scans to provide more detailed images than X-rays. They can help identify complex fractures, skull fractures, blood clots, swelling, and internal injuries.
• Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans to provide highly detailed images of bones and soft tissues, including nerves and blood vessels. It’s used to detect soft tissue damage, spinal cord injuries, bone bruises, and inflammation.

From the results your doctor finds, they will suggest the most suitable treatment. Examples of treatments for injuries include pain management (medications and injection), RICE therapy (rest, ice, compression, and elevation), casting, splinting, or bracing for fractures, and surgery in severe cases.

Role of Rehabilitation in Recovering From a Stairs Fall

Rehabilitation after falling down stairs helps restore physical, sensory, and mental functional capacities. Physical therapy restores strength, flexibility, and overall movement, whereas occupational therapy helps an injured person regain the ability to perform everyday tasks and activities. Individuals who sustain structural imbalances and mobility issues can undergo chiropractic care to restore musculoskeletal health.

Why Do People Fall on Stairs?

Reasons people fall on stairs can include:

• Carelessness
• Missing steps
• Broken handrails
• Stair height differences
• Slippery surfaces
• Poor visibility

Sometimes, people fall because of unsafe conditions. If the person responsible for the stairs failed to address known safety issues, they might be liable for injuries. 

How To Prevent Future Stair Fall Accidents

Property owners can prevent stair fall accidents by employing safety measures, including:

1. Ensuring adequate lighting on stairs

Fixing inadequate lighting ensures visibility and reduces risks of falling down the stairs. Proper lighting helps identify hazards, such as uneven steps or clutter, and is a critical step in preventing stair related injuries and ensuring overall child safety.

2. Installing sturdy handrails on both sides

Holding onto a handrail is the simplest way to maintain balance and prevent falling down stairs. Handrails provide stability, especially for older adults or those with mobility issues, reducing the risk of serious injuries during stair use.

3. Removing clutter from stairs

Keeping stairs free of clutter is essential for stair safety. Toys, shoes, or loose objects can cause stair related falls. Regularly clearing obstacles ensures safe passage and minimizes the chance of tripping or suffering common injuries like sprains or bruises.

4. Following Building Codes

Ensuring stairs meet state law and OSHA stair safety standards is vital for safe design. Proper construction and compliance with federal safety standards reduce risks of stair related falls, protecting both residents and visitors from serious injuries and liability issues.

5. Using Safety Gates

Installing safety gates for children and younger passengers prevents stair related falls. Gates act as barriers, keeping vulnerable individuals away from staircases. This precaution is especially important in family homes, reducing risks of common injuries and ensuring compliance with child safety guidelines.

6. Securing loose rugs or carpets

Loose rugs or carpets on stairs can easily cause slips and stair related falls. Secure them with adhesive strips or non-slip pads to improve traction. This simple step enhances stair safety and reduces risks of common injuries.

7. Repairing any broken or uneven steps

Broken or uneven steps increase the likelihood of falling down stairs and sustaining serious injuries. Promptly repair damaged steps to ensure stability and compliance with building codes. Regular maintenance prevents future falls and protects everyone using the staircase.

You should also take personal precautions when using the stairs. Wear appropriate footwear, use handrails, avoid distractions while using the stairs, avoid rushing or skipping steps, and get your vision checked regularly.

When Should You Take Legal Action? 

If you fall down the stairs due to a property owner’s negligence, consider taking legal action to fight for your rights. An attorney can help you prove that the property owner owed you a duty of care, which they breached, resulting in your injury. Consequently, they should offer you fair compensation.

Our personal injury lawyer will investigate your case to gather adequate information and build a strong case, while you focus on recovering from the stairway fall injury.

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