Suing for a Sacral Fracture after a Slip and Fall

The sacrum is a flat and triangular bone that sits at the base of your spine. Due to its location between the hips, the sacrum plays a critical role in your ability to stand, walk, or sit. But this is an overlooked part of the body, even when you are dealing with significant pain in your lower back.

Were you recently injured from a slip and fall accident that’s causing pain, inflammation, limited mobility, and other issues in your lower back and pelvic region? Are you having trouble controlling your bladder or bowel movements? You may have a sacral fracture (aka fractured sacrum) that was caused by a slip and fall.

The impact of falling down unexpectedly can result in significant trauma to your body, and fractures are one of the most common injuries associated with slip and falls. If you were diagnosed with a sacral fracture after a slip and fall accident, you may be entitled to compensation from a negligent property owner or another entity that failed in their duty of care.

Our slip and fall attorneys can help you file an accident claim and obtain the payments you deserve by law. Contact the offices of Normandie Law Firm and schedule a free case evaluation.

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Symptoms of a Sacral Fracture after a Slip and Fall

A sacral fracture is a complex injury that may not be apparent right away. That’s why it can take weeks, maybe even months, before the injury is diagnosed. By then, it’s likely that the fracture is serious enough to where surgical intervention is needed. That means you have a long and painful recovery ahead of you, so it’s best that you go to a doctor right away if you hurt your back from a slip and fall. Symptoms that indicate you may have a sacral fracture include:

• Bruising and discoloration around your lower back and buttocks
• Considerable swelling and inflammation in your back and pelvic region
• Severe pain in your back, buttocks, hips, and/or legs, whether you are sitting, standing, or moving
• Problems walking or standing
• Weakness of the muscles in your lower back, legs, and hips
• Tingling or numbness in the feet or legs
• Incontinence issues – reduced bladder and bowel control

Treatments for a Fractured Sacrum

The treatment you will need for a sacral fracture depends on the exact location and severity of injury. You may also have other injuries in your back and the surrounding areas, and this is another issue that plays a role in the treatments that are recommended by your doctor. Below are the treatment options that are available for a sacral fracture:

• Relatively minor injuries can be treated at home with rest, pain meds, and using a donut-shaped pillow when sitting to relieve pressure on the tailbone.
• Over the counter and prescription pain medication can help with inflammation, swelling, and other symptoms during the recovery process. Please note that you should avoid NSAIDS (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory, which can delay healing in the bones.
• For patients with serious fractures, a sacrcoplasty may be needed, which is a procedure where the sacrum is injected with a bone cement mixture.
• Sacroiliac joint fusion, where titanium implants are inserted across the sacroiliac joint.
• Physical therapy to strengthen the pelvic muscles and restore your range of motion.

Who is Responsible for my Accident?

This is an essential question to ask yourself, no matter where and how you were injured from a slip and fall. With fall accidents, it’s usually a negligent property that’s liable for the victim’s injuries. This is true whether you fell in a neighbor’s house or slipped on something at a commercial building. So, we would say that in most of these cases, the party you can sue if the homeowner, building manager, business owner, or someone else that’s in charge the property.

Another possibility is that a third party, like a product manufacturer, construction company, or government agency created a dangerous condition that resulted in someone falling down. For example, a washing machine may have a defect that causes it to leak water, even though the owner has had the machine repaired multiple times. Whether the machine is in a residential building or a laundromat, there is the potential for someone to slip on the spilled water and injure themselves. In this situation, you may need to sue the manufacturer, or both the property owner and product maker, depending on the details of your accident.

A big part of figuring out who is liable for your injuries is determining why you had the accident in the first place. Here are some of the most common reasons why people are injured from a slip and fall:

• Wet floors (from water, spilled drinks, oil, leaking appliances, etc.)
• Improper cleaning methods
• Carpets or tiles with worn areas (lack of traction)
• Poor lighting
• Defective or missing handrails
• Failure to remove ice and snow from sidewalks
• Loose wires and cords
• Rugs that do not stay securely on the floor
• Uneven flooring
• Not placing Wet Floors signs around recently mopped or waxed floors
• Unstable staircases (ones with loose steps, for example)

Case Values for a Sacral Fracture Lawsuit

Though people often ask us for average case values for their type of accident, this is not the approach we go by when it comes to how much a lawsuit is worth. Frankly, slip and fall lawsuit settlements can be worth anywhere from a few thousand dollars to over $2,000,000. And even if we were pressed to come up with an estimate range, the best we can say is that most of our claims are settled for $75,000 to $1,500,000 for injuries caused by a slip and fall.

With sacral fracture injuries, there are many factors that will impact how much you are entitled to from an accident claim. These include the medical treatments you’ll need, how long it will take you to recover, and how the injuries affect your health and finances in the long run. For those with serious injuries, the level of pain and suffering is another critical factor that can add hundreds of thousands of dollars to the value of a fractured sacrum lawsuit.

How Long will My Case Take to Settle?

For cases of mild to moderate injuries, a sacral fracture after a slip and fall lawsuit may be settled within 3 to 6 months. However, we would have to say that the majority of fall accident victims end up with serious injuries that can take years to recover from. Thus, it’s not unusual for a slip and fall claim to take between 8 to 18 months from start to finish.

Quite a few of our clients have permanent health complications that interfere with their ability to work, take care of their family, and do basis tasks like drive or walk up the stairs. These cases generally take 2 or more years to resolve, and over 3 years if a trial is needed. Around 95% of all personal injury claims are settled without a trial, so more than likely, a settlement will be negotiated with the defendant.

How Long Do I have to File a Lawsuit?

Slip and fall and trip and fall injury claims must be filed no later 2 years from when you fell down on someone else’s property. In some cases, an injury may be diagnosed months or even years after an accident, and it’s possible to obtain an extension in these situations. However, it’s safe to say that most injuries from a slip and fall are obvious within days or weeks of the incident. So, we normally go with the standard of 2 years from the accident date when it comes to how long you have for a bruised sacrum or sacral fracture lawsuit.

Slip and Fall Accidents on Government Property

Though we mentioned a deadline of 2 years to sue for a slip and fall, there is one notable exception that has to do with government properties. These include a wide variety or structures and outdoor spaces, like county office buildings, public schools, city parks, and sidewalks maintained by the local government.

According to the California Tort Claims Act (CTCA), all liability claims against government entities must be filed within 6 months of the accident. There is no exception to this rule, so if you don’t submit your claim by this deadline, you will lose the right to seek payment for your medical expenses, pain and suffering, and other monetary damages.

Please note that the statute of limitations is very tight for these lawsuits, so you should contact a slip and fall attorney as soon as possible. They can help you with the paperwork and find evidence to support your right to compensation from the government.

The Fall Accident Injury Lawyers of Normandie

Normandie Law Firm specializes in personal injury and wrongful death claims on behalf of accident victims and their loved ones. We know that you are dealing with significant injuries through no fault of your own, and the party that’s responsible shouldn’t get away with their negligence.

To ensure that you can hire a slip and fall lawyer right away, we charge you $0 upfront and agree to take your case on contingency. This is part of a system known as the Zero Fee Guarantee, where all payments by us are collected at the same time you receive your settlement check. That means you pay $0 in legal fees if we fail to obtain your payment from a slip and fall sacral fracture lawsuit.

For more information on how we can help you and your family, contact our law firm today.

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