If you’ve slipped and fallen on a wet floor in a store, you know the pain can feel unbearable. And worse, you might not have been able to stand up because you broke your hip.

According to the University of Chicago School of Medicine, over 300,000 people fracture their hip each year in the United States and 20% of them die within one year of the fall. That’s why your slip and fall on a store floor could be more serious than you think.

Five Hip Injuries You Could Suffer in a Slip and Fall in a Store

Damage to your hips is one of the most common injuries you could face when you slip and fall. That’s because the hip is one of the widest parts of your body and takes the greatest impact when you fall.

Here are five common hip problems caused by a slip and fall accident:

  • Strains, Sprains, and Tears. The ligaments, tendons, or muscles surrounding the hip could become strained, sprained, or torn from the impact of a slip and fall. Symptoms can include pain, weakness, and swelling of the hip area.
  • Dislocation. This occurs when the ball at the top of the femur slips out of the socket. It causes extreme pain and the injured victim will not be able to move his leg. If the nerves surrounding the area are damaged, the person may lose feeling in his ankle and foot too.
  • Fracture. This can be a partial or complete fracture of the femur, or thigh bone. A femoral neck fracture is a break one to two inches from the hip joint and may cut off the blood supply to the femur head. An intertrochanteric hip fracture occurs three to four inches from the hip joint. It doesn’t cut off the blood supply to the femur head and is considered less dangerous than a femoral fracture. Almost all fractures of the femur will require surgery, often including permanent installation of metal plates or screws to hold the fractured bone in place.
  • Bursitis. Bursitis is the swelling of the fluid-filled sacs surrounding the hip joint. It causes aches and pains in the hip and on the outside of the thigh. Walking and other movements of the hip and leg can aggravate the problem.
  • Labral tear. This is damage to the cartilage surrounding the socket of the pelvis. It is commonly caused by slip and fall accidents when a joint is twisted.

Treatment of a hip injury could require surgery and long-term rehabilitation. There could be serious complications. So if you’ve fallen in a store or at another place of business, don’t take your hip pain lightly.

If you or a member of your family has been injured in a slip and fall accident at a store or other place of business, you may have a legal claim. Read our testimonials to learn how we’ve helped other people like you.

Peter Steinberg
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Los Angeles Personal Injury Attorney Since 1982