After a hard fall, stay calm, assess for serious injury (especially head/neck), and if hurt, call for help; if not, use the RICE method (Rest, Ice, Compression, Elevation) for minor injuries, but always see a doctor for intense pain, rapid swelling, or inability to move, as a fall can hide serious issues like fractures or head trauma.
If you experience immediate symptoms such as severe pain, difficulty breathing, loss of consciousness, or visible fractures after a fall, seek medical attention promptly. These signs could indicate a serious injury.
The first thing you need to do after a fall is work out if you're hurt. Take a few minutes to check your body for any pain or injuries, then: if you're not hurt, try to get up from the floor. if you're hurt or unable to get off the floor, call for help and keep warm and moving as best you can while you wait.
After a slip and fall accident, pay close attention to headaches or dizziness. These symptoms could mean you have a concussion or other head injuries, which can have serious consequences if left untreated. Seek medical attention promptly if you feel a migraine or feel off-balance.
Falls can cause trauma to your organs, blood vessels, and tissues. Even a short fall onto a hard surface can trigger internal bleeding or damage. And because symptoms aren't always obvious in the first few minutes or hours after an accident, people sometimes shrug them off — until they get much worse.
The AHRQ focuses on the 5 P's of fall precautions: pain, personal needs, position, placement, and preventing falls. Ensuring the patient's needs are met (eg, toileting) and assistance is within easy reach (eg, their phone) are among the most essential ways to prevent falls.
Neck stiffness with injury to soft tissues, headache, dizziness, abnormal sensations or paresthesias (burning, prickling or numbness), shoulder or back pain, extremity pain or loss of motion, memory loss, concentration issues, nervousness, irritability, sleep disturbances, fatigue or depression should all be watched ...
Specific symptoms of internal bleeding
Symptoms of post-concussion syndrome
Muscle soreness should subside in five days or less, though minor injuries can have lingering consequences. If the soreness persists longer than one week, however, it could indicate the presence of more serious injuries, and you should see a doctor for evaluation as soon as possible.
Ten Things Not to Do After a Slip and Fall Accident
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The hardest injuries to prove are typically invisible injuries like psychological trauma (PTSD, anxiety, depression), chronic pain conditions (fibromyalgia, CRPS), and mild traumatic brain injuries (concussions), as they lack obvious physical signs and rely on subjective symptoms, requiring expert testimony, detailed medical records, and consistent documentation to substantiate claims against insurance or in court. Soft tissue injuries like whiplash are also challenging because they often don't show up on standard imaging.
The signs and symptoms that suggest concealed internal bleeding depend on where the bleeding is inside the body, but may include:
See a GP if:
you're worried about your balance or mobility. you've had a fall.
A popular "2-minute concussion test" is the King-Devick Test, a rapid number-naming assessment that screens for eye movement, attention, and language issues by having someone quickly read single digits from cards, with a significant slowdown indicating potential brain dysfunction after a head impact, often compared to a baseline score. This portable test helps sideline concussion screening for athletes, catching signs that other methods might miss, but it's part of a comprehensive protocol, not a standalone diagnosis.
In 1952, the New England Journal of Medicine published a study stating that a player should not continue playing professional football after suffering three concussions. As players continue to get bigger, faster, and stronger, the number of concussions has increased.
Look for:
Immediate action required: Go to A&E if:
you've been knocked out but have now woken up. you've vomited (been sick) since the injury. you have a headache that does not go away.
Symptoms of a subdural haematoma
Common Internal Injuries in a Slip and Fall Accident
However, a sufficiently hard impact can cause damage to internal organs, blood vessels, and soft tissue. That's especially true when someone hits their side, stomach, or head.
Danoun shares six symptoms that tell you a head injury requires medical attention.
Even if they seem completely fine, you should check for visible injuries, such as bleeding or swelling and monitor intensely for serious symptoms, specifically headaches, vomiting, confusion, drowsiness, vision changes or balance problems.
Things that warrant a medical follow-up after a fall
However, if any of the following things happen after a fall, you should visit an orthopedic urgent care or emergency room as soon as possible: Visible limb deformity. Unable to bear weight on an injured body part. Hitting your head and losing consciousness.
Typically, injuries to the arms and head are common after a fall, but a slip can cause many different injury types and affect all areas of the body. Common types of slip-and-fall injuries include: Bruises, scrapes and cuts: A common side effect of a fall accident are bruises, scrapes and cuts.