Slip-and-fall accidents commonly occur due to uneven pavement, loose carpets, wet floors, unmarked floor level changes, and icy steps. Some slip-and-fall accidents are simply embarrassing, and the victim picks themselves up, dusts off, and continues on their way. However, a bad slip and fall accident can be a traumatic experience, especially when it happens in a public space, a store, or a restaurant, adding an element of embarrassment to the pain. When the embarrassment of a bad fall subsides, the fall victim is left with painful injuries, often with significant impacts on their mobility and ability to work.
Knee injuries are a common outcome of a slip-and-fall accident. Not only is a knee injury painful and temporarily or permanently debilitating, but they’re also difficult to treat and often require a long time to heal. When this type of injury occurs in a preventable fall caused by a business owner’s negligence, the business or property owner is liable for the victim’s damages, including medical expenses, lost wages, and compensation for pain and suffering. After a slip & fall injury, contact the Cherry Hill personal injury attorneys at Cuneo & Leonetti to help move forward with your legal case to financial compensation.
Knee Sprains After a Slip-and-Fall Accident
Sprains are common after a slip-and-fall accident. Fall victims often land on one or both knees, sometimes causing a sprain. Knee sprains occur when the ligaments connecting muscle to bone in the knee stretch beyond their normal capacity, resulting in pain, swelling, tenderness, and limited range of motion during healing time.
ACL Injuries After a Slip-and-Fall Accident
The Anterior Cruciate Ligament or ACL is a crucial ligament in the knee connecting the femur to the tibia. This thick band sometimes stretches or breaks when the knee twists or bends backward during a slip-and-fall. Fall victims may hear a popping sound when the ACL tears. A torn ACL causes serious pain and an inability to walk or move the knee without pain. Torn ACLs sometimes require surgery and lengthy recovery times.
Although ACL tears are the most common and debilitating, other ligaments in the knee such as the lateral and medial collateral ligaments or the Posterior Cruciate Ligament (PCL) may also tear during a slip-and-fall accident.
Torn Meniscus
The meniscus is an important part of the knee joint. It’s a piece of stretchy cartilage that provides a cushion between the tibia and femur and supports both bones at the knee joint. Meniscus tears may happen when a strong twisting motion occurs at the knee joint during a fall. Depending on the severity of the damage, a torn meniscus can heal on its own with elevation and immobility, or it may require surgery.
Torn Tendons In Slip-and-Fall Injuries
The knee has two important tendons connecting the muscles to the top and bottom of the patella (knee cap). These tendons may bruise or tear when a fall victim lands on their knees. When the quadriceps tendon or patella tendon tears during a fall, it causes significant pain and temporary immobility. For a torn tendon injury due to negligance, a Cherry Hill slip and fall lawyer can help recover your potential financial compensation.
Knee Fractures From Slip-and-Fall Accidents
A fractured patella (knee cap) injury is serious and painful. Fractures occur in the knees when a fall victim lands on a hard floor or ground surface, directly on the kneecap or knee joint. Knee fractures take a long time to heal and require a brace or cast to retain immobility during the healing process.
Bruises, Lacerations, and Abrasions
Less serious but painful and embarrassing injuries to the knees include bruises from bleeding under the skin after a hard fall, lacerations from landing on sharp objects, and abrasions or skinned knees from a fall on a rough surface. While these injuries are commonly treatable at home, if a bruise, cut, or abrasion causes serious pain, it’s important to have the injury evaluated by a doctor to rule out a sprain, torn ligament, or an infection.