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.
Were you injured in a slip-and-fall accident? Contact Jack Bernstein, Injury Attorneys now.
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.
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.
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:
- Ensuring adequate lighting on stairs.
- Installing sturdy handrails on both sides.
- Removing clutter from stairs.
- Securing loose rugs or carpets.
- Repairing any broken or uneven steps.
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.
Were you injured in a slip-and-fall accident? Contact Jack Bernstein, Injury Attorneys now.
FAQ
How Long Does It Typically Take To Recover From a Stair Fall Injury?
Minor injuries, such as a minor cut, can heal in a few weeks, whereas fractures can take months. Severe injuries like head trauma can have long-term consequences.
Can You Sue if You Fell Down the Stairs in Your Own Home?
Yes. If another party’s negligence contributed to the fall, you can sue them. For instance, if a construction company improperly built the stairs.
What if You Didn’t Feel Pain Immediately After Falling, but Symptoms Developed Later?
Delayed symptoms after an injury are common. This does not negate the possibility of filing a claim. Nonetheless, you should document the accident scene and seek immediate medical attention to build a strong case.
Will Your Health Insurance Cover All the Costs Associated With a Stair Fall Injury?
It may cover the initial costs, like emergency room visits, doctor appointments, and medications. You are likely to handle other expenses based on your insurance plan. Holding the negligent party liable allows you to recover all damages.
Is There a Time Limit for Filing a Personal Injury Claim After a Stair Fall?
Florida has a two-year time limit for filing a personal injury claim after a slip-and-fall incident.
What Kind of Evidence Is Most Important for a Stair Fall Injury Claim?
Documentation (photos and videos) of the hazardous condition and your injuries, maintenance records of the property, witness statements, expert opinions, medical records, and documentation of lost income are most important.
Sources:
Crist, C. (2017). Injuries on Stairs Occur in All Age Groups and Abilities.
Ellis, R. (2018). Post-Trauma Treatment: Healing More Than the Body.