Even with some news stories about serious falling accidents, it might be easy or Worcester, Massachusetts, resident to assume that a slip-and-fall claim is rarely a really serious matter, and, at worst, is a case of a broken bone.
The underlying theme to this way of thinking is related to the idea that people who sue for premises liability or other personal injuries just refuse to recognize that there is such thing as an accident and people get hurt.
What any Massachusetts resident might not recognize is that slips-and-falls, and other types of falling accidents, are actually the second leading cause of significant spinal cord injuries, behind only car and other motor vehicle accidents. In fact, almost 30 percent of all spinal cord injuries can be attributed to some sort of fall.
While many of these falls may well have been from a high place, it does not change the reality that the victim slipped, fell and now has to deal with the fallout of a spinal cord injury, the most well-known symptom of that sort of injury being paralysis. Moreover, it does not take a fall from a certain height to cause an injury to a spine; even what seemed like a modest fall can lead to serious damage.
Massachusetts residents who suffer from a spinal cord injury because of a fall are not just people who need to recognize that accidents happen. They will likely need long-term rehabilitation and care as they learn how to get around without the use of their legs and, in some cases, their arms and neck. They will likely not be able to work in their occupation, at least not without difficulty. These victims deserve compensation from any negligent party who could have prevented their accident with some proper care and watchfulness.
