Slip-and-falls and tripping incidents are among the most common sources of workplace injuries. Same-level falls can leave professionals in need of medical care. The injuries they sustain when they fall may interfere with their ability to perform job functions.
Frequently, slip-and-fall injuries only require a brief break from job responsibilities while the worker undergoes care and recovers from their injuries. Scrapes and lacerations may only affect a worker’s availability for a single day. Soft tissue injuries and fractures may leave a professional on light-duty work or away from their job for several weeks. Other times, a same-level fall can inspire an injury serious enough to prevent a professional from continuing their career.
Brain injuries create lasting consequences
If a professional hits their head on the floor, a wall or a piece of equipment when they fall, they could develop a traumatic brain injury (TBI). Minor concussions may only cause temporary medical challenges. However, significant bleeding or swelling inside the skull can cause structural changes to the brain. The symptoms possible after sustaining a moderate to severe TBI include memory challenges, changes to cognitive function, shifts in personality and even motor function challenges.
Unlike a fracture, which should respond to medical care, a TBI that produces changes to the brain’s structure causes permanent symptoms. A professional may never be able to return to a physically-demanding job or a position that requires rapid decision-making or excellent memory.
Thankfully, workers’ compensation benefits can support professionals with brain injuries and other significant medical challenges acquired while on the clock. Reviewing a slip-and-fall and the medical challenges it has inspired with a skilled legal team can help professionals to effectively evaluate their eligibility for workers’ compensation benefits.