An individual who slips and falls may land on a hard or rough surface, such as asphalt, and suffer deep cuts and scrapes. Deep lacerations and large abrasions present a serious risk for infection and require immediate medical care to clean and close the wound. If a fall victim suffers a deep cut that cannot be attended to right away, significant bleeding can cause them to go into shock, which is life-threatening.
If you have sustained severe cuts and abrasions after a fall that was the result of someone else’s negligence, you may be able to demand compensation for your losses from the at-fault party. Many slip-and-fall common injuries that occur in New York are preventable and are the result of a property owner’s carelessness, disregard for safety or other misconduct.
Our experienced NYC personal injury attorneys at David Resnick & Associates, P.C. offer professional and compassionate legal assistance to fall injury victims who have suffered harm because of others’ negligence. We help New Yorkers who have had the misfortune of sustaining serious lacerations and abrasions seek compensation to cover medical expenses, lost wages, pain and suffering and more.
We are committed to helping people who are struggling to recover from serious injury caused by others’ negligence. We assist accident victims in Manhattan, Brooklyn, the Bronx, Queens, Harlem and Staten Island. Call a New York City personal injury lawyer at David Resnick & Associates, P.C. today at 212-279-2000 or fill out our online form for a free review of your case.
Deep Cuts and Abrasions Suffered in a Fall Accident
A laceration occurs in a fall accident when the blunt force of the individual’s body hitting the ground or another surface causes a tear in the skin. An abrasion, or scrape, is an open wound caused by the skin rubbing against a rough surface.
Deep cuts can damage skin, muscle, nerves and other soft tissue. They require prompt medical attention so doctors may work to stop bleeding and clean and repair the wound.
Lacerations of the hands typically occur in falls because individuals instinctively reach out to catch themselves and break the fall. However, lacerations of the hands (and feet) can easily cut into nerves and tendons under the skin. Loss of feeling or movement around a deep cut indicates that a tendon or nerve has been damaged.
Cuts to the head – scalp lacerations – are also common in slip and fall accidents, as are internal head injuries— traumatic brain injury. Scalp lacerations tend to bleed profusely because there is little room between the skin and bone of the skull, forcing many blood vessels close to the skin.
Facial lacerations may cause disfigurement due to scarring that cannot be completely eradicated with cosmetic surgery. Nerve or muscle damage can cause loss of movement in parts of the face. Large abrasions may leave scarring, as well.
Deep cuts and severe abrasions may also lead to loss of body parts, such as fingers, toes and ears, or limbs if large lacerations destroy too much muscle and major veins of an arm or leg.
A cut or abrasion may be described as a:
- Laceration. This is a linear break or opening in the skin of varying length and depth, which may be appear as a smooth incision or jagged tear.
- Puncture wound. These wounds come from landing on a pointed or sharp object, such as a nail, broken glass or the tines of a fence or rake. The break in the skin typically has a small, rounded surface area but the tear into tissue may be as deep as the length of the object encountered.
- Skin tear. A skin tear is a wider wound that occurs when the outer layer of skin is pulled back by the force of impact. Skin tears in falls are more likely to occur in older adults who have fragile skin or in patients taking steroids, which can cause thinning of the skin.
- Avulsion (“degloving”). This is a severe injury in which skin and tissue are ripped from the underlying muscle, connective tissue or bone. This is a life-threatening injury because of the large amounts of blood loss and tissue death. Degloving is more commonly a leg injury, though it can happen to any part of the body, such as the torso.
How Are Deep Cuts and Abrasions Treated?
Different types of lacerations and abrasions are treated differently and heal differently. An individual with diabetes may have a longer recovery from a serious laceration or abrasion, particularly if he or she is already having circulatory issues.
A small cut may be cared for at home by cleaning it with cool water and/or a hydrogen peroxide solution or antibiotic ointment and bandaging. Deeper or wider cuts require professional medical attention.
Wider cuts may need to be closed with stitches or closed with staples. Adhesive strips may be used to close a simple, cleanly cut laceration or used after stitches or staples are removed to continue to support the healing wound. Small cuts may be closed with glue-like tissue or skin adhesives.
A skin tear will be cleaned and covered with a moist dressing. A dry gauze dressing or bandage will be applied to hold the moist dressing in place and protect the wound.
A deep abrasion should be inspected and cleaned of any dirt or debris and may require sutures or a skin adhesive.
A degloving typically requires surgery to reattach skin and other tissue or to make skin grafts from other parts of the body. A serious degloving injury may require multiple surgeries and may include additional injuries, such as broken bones.
In many deep cut and abrasion cases, reparative surgery is followed by cosmetic surgery to further repair and reshape damaged body parts and to address scarring. Patients typically require an extended hospital stay for one or more rounds of surgery and recuperation, followed by several months of physical therapy.
Why to Consider a Lawsuit After a Fall Injury Deep Cut or Abrasion
The attorneys at David Resnick & Associates understand the impact that a serious laceration or abrasion injury can have on you and your family. If your injury was caused by someone else’s negligence or misconduct, you may have the legal right to demand compensation to help with your medical bills and other losses.
Attorney David Resnick can review the details of your slip and fall accident and explain your legal options for pursuing compensation through a personal injury claim.
In a personal injury lawsuit, you may demand compensation for:
- Medical bills
- Future medical expenses
- Rehabilitation costs
- Lost wages
- Diminished future earnings
- Loss of consortium
- Pain and suffering
- Punitive damages, in some circumstances.
Why Legal Assistance After a Serious Fall is Crucial
Individuals injured in slip and fall accidents tend to get much more compensation when they have experienced legal representation compared to accident victims who try to negotiate with an insurer on their own.
When victims try to pursue injury claims on their own, insurance companies can more easily dismiss or minimize their cases. However, an NYC attorney with significant experience handling cases involving serious cuts will understand the evidence needed to recover the full compensation you deserve.
Our attorneys have the skills and resources to gather evidence needed for a successful claim. We’ll investigate the circumstances of your accident and who should be held accountable. We’ll calculate the full cost of your injury, including the pain and suffering that you have been put through and may still suffer due to disfigurement. We’ll obtain testimony from medical and/or occupational experts as to how your injuries have affected you, such as diminishing your ability to work for a living or perform the tasks of daily life.
Our experienced lawyers also understand local and state laws that might adversely impact your ability to seek compensation for your losses. Under New York’s statute of limitations, victims typically have three years from the date of their injury to file a personal injury lawsuit. But if a fall accident occurred because of unsafe conditions on government-owned property, you only have a matter of months to file a notice with the appropriate government agency that an injury claim is pending.
A cut and laceration injury lawyer at David Resnick & Associates can put together a solid claim for you that is filed on time and pursued with determination. David Resnick & Associates will negotiate aggressively on your behalf with the insurance company and fight for you in court if that is what it takes to seek justice for you.
Contact A Deep Cuts / Abrasion Fall Injury Lawyer in NYC Today
If you or a loved one has suffered serious cuts and/or abrasions in a fall accident, it is important to start as soon as possible to seek sources of the financial help you are due.
David Resnick & Associates, P.C., in New York City helps slip and fall accident victims and their families fight for full compensation for the costs and losses associated with hospitalization and surgery. We can evaluate your claim and work to see that you recover all of the compensation NY law says you should have.
Call us now at 212-279-2000 or contact us online for a free review and discussion of your case.