Common Injuries From Falls & Who Pays For Them

A cracked floor tile at the hardware store. A patch of black ice outside your apartment building. A poorly lit stairwell at a restaurant. One second you’re fine — the next, your world is a chaotic blur of pain and impact. The landing is hard, and the damage is real.

You didn’t just “have an accident.” That’s the story the property owner’s insurance company wants you to believe. It’s a convenient, no-fault narrative that lets their client off the hook.

The truth is colder. Your fall was the predictable result of negligence. A choice someone made — a property manager, a business owner, a maintenance company — to ignore a hazard, to cut a corner on safety, to save a buck at your expense. These common injuries from falls aren’t bad luck; they’re the direct consequence of someone failing to do their most basic job: keeping you safe from harm.

Let’s be brutally honest. What happened to you was preventable. Now, you’re stuck with the medical bills, the missed work, and the nagging, relentless pain. This isn’t a guide about legal theory. It’s a battle plan for holding them accountable.

The Truth About the Damage They Caused

The insurance adjuster has a script, and Step One is always the same: downplay your pain. They’ll call your shattered wrist a “simple sprain.” They’ll suggest the concussion that’s scrambling your memory is “just a bump on the head.”

It’s a cynical, calculated game. They want you to doubt your own reality, to accept a lowball offer before you grasp the true, long-term cost of the fall. They deal in spreadsheets — we deal in human consequences.

These are the real-world injuries from falls we see every single day. The damage that doesn’t just heal in six weeks with an ice pack and some ibuprofen.

Bone-Shattering Injuries

A hard fall delivers a shocking amount of force to your skeleton. We’re not talking about hairline fractures — we’re talking about catastrophic breaks that require surgeons to piece you back together with plates and screws.

• Hip Fractures: For older adults, this is often a life-ending/life-altering event. Over 95% of the 300,000+ annual hip fractures in Americans 65+ are caused by falls. Full recovery is a fantasy for many, leading to a permanent loss of independence.
• Wrist/Arm Fractures: Your instinct is to throw your hands out to break your fall. The result is often a complex fracture of the wrist or forearm that can lead to a lifetime of arthritis and limited function.
• Spinal Fractures: Landing hard on your back or tailbone can cause compression fractures in your vertebrae. The result? Excruciating pain, postural changes, and permanent nerve issues.

Head & Brain Injuries (The Invisible Damage)

You do not have to lose consciousness to suffer a traumatic brain injury (TBI). The sudden impact is enough to make your brain slam against your skull, causing bruising, swelling, and tearing delicate neural connections.

The insurance company will call it “getting your bell rung.” This is a lie.

A TBI is a silent destroyer. Symptoms like memory loss, mood swings, and debilitating headaches can surface weeks later. Every concussion is a brain injury. Period.

Soft-Tissue Injuries (The Nagging Pain)

This is the damage that doesn’t show up on an X-ray but can cause a lifetime of misery. The torn ligaments, ruptured tendons, and severe sprains that never quite heal right.

An adjuster will dismiss it as “just a sprain.” But a torn ligament in your ankle can leave you with permanent instability, making you more susceptible to future falls — a problem you can understand better by reviewing a guide on balance assessment tests for elderly. A torn rotator cuff can mean surgery and a permanent loss of strength.

This is the real anatomy of a fall injury. It’s complex, it’s devastating, and it’s anything but minor.

The Insurance Playbook They Don’t Want You to See

Within days of your fall, an insurance adjuster will call. They will sound professional, concerned — even friendly.

This is an act.

Their job isn’t to help you. Their job is to protect their company’s profit margin by paying you as little as possible — preferably nothing at all. They have a playbook, a cynical set of tactics they use to undermine your claim from the very first conversation.

Knowing their game is your best defense.

Tactic #1: The Recorded Statement Trap

“We just need a quick recorded statement to process your claim.” It sounds harmless. It is a trap, designed to get you on the record saying something — anything — they can twist and use against you later.

They will ask loaded questions to get you to downplay your pain (“So you felt good enough to drive home?”) or admit partial fault (“Were you in a hurry?”).

Politely decline. There is no law in Colorado that requires you to give a recorded statement to the other side’s insurance company. Don’t hand them the ammunition they will use to shoot down your own claim.

Tactic #2: The Delay, Deny, Defend Strategy

Insurance companies weaponize time. They know you have bills piling up and paychecks stopping. They use this pressure against you with a brutal three-step strategy.

1. Delay: They lose your paperwork. The adjuster is always in a meeting. They request the same records over and over. They drag their feet, hoping your financial desperation will force you to accept a lowball offer.
2. Deny: After months of stalling, you finally get a letter — a flat-out denial or a settlement offer so low it’s an insult. They’ll invent a reason, any reason, to justify paying you pennies on the dollar.
3. Defend: They are betting the delay and denial will make you give up. If you don’t, they dig in their heels, forcing you into a long, expensive legal battle they know most people can’t afford to fight alone.

Tactic #3: The Blame the Victim Game

This is their favorite move, and it’s the most infuriating. No matter how obvious the property owner’s negligence was, they will find a way to blame you.

Were you wearing the “wrong” shoes? Were you looking at your phone? Did you ignore a warning sign that they put up after you fell? They will scrutinize your every action.

Remember this: they will always try to blame you for your own injuries.

Why? Because under Colorado law, if you are found 50% or more at fault, you get nothing. Zero. By shifting even a small percentage of blame onto you, they can drastically reduce what they owe. Don’t let them rewrite history.

How We Prove They Are 100% At Fault

The property owner and their insurance company start with a home-field advantage. They control the evidence — the security footage, the incident reports, the property itself. To win, you can’t just say they were negligent. You have to prove it with overwhelming, undeniable evidence.

This isn’t about hoping for the best. It’s about building a case so solid that paying you what you’re owed becomes their only logical option. This is how we flip the script and hold them accountable for the injuries from falls they caused.

Step 1: Document Everything — Immediately

Evidence disappears. Spills get cleaned up, broken stairs get repaired, and memories fade. The single most important thing you can do is document the scene of your fall.

• Photograph/Video the Hazard: Take pictures of the exact thing that caused you to fall — the puddle, the ice, the cracked pavement. Get wide shots for context and close-ups of the danger itself.
• Photograph the Surroundings: Was there a “wet floor” sign? Was it hidden? Were there cameras nearby? Document the entire area.
• Preserve Your Shoes: Your footwear is evidence. Put the shoes you were wearing in a plastic bag and do not wear them again. The insurance company will absolutely try to blame your shoes.

Step 2: Identify Every Single Responsible Party

The property owner isn’t always the only one on the hook. We investigate to find every company or person whose negligence contributed to your fall.

This could include:

• The property owner.
• A property management company.
• A third-party cleaning/maintenance contractor.
• A snow removal company that failed to address dangerous conditions like clear ice in Colorado.
• A construction company that left debris behind.

We cast a wide net to ensure every single party that played a role is held accountable.

Step 3: Uncover Their History of Negligence

A single mistake is one thing — a pattern of carelessness is another. We dig for evidence that the owner knew about the hazard and did nothing.

We search for prior complaints, 911 calls to the address for similar incidents, or even bad online reviews mentioning the same dangerous condition. This proves your fall wasn’t a random accident. It was an inevitability they created through their own conscious disregard for safety.

The Real Math Behind Your Injury Claim

Let’s be direct. The insurance company’s first settlement offer is an insult disguised as a business calculation. They add up your emergency room bills, toss in a pittance for your trouble, and hope you’ll sign away your rights before you understand what your claim is truly worth.

Your claim is not a stack of receipts. It’s the total, life-altering impact of this fall on your past, present, and future.

To fight back, you need to calculate the true value. That means understanding the two distinct types of damages you are owed under the law.

Economic Damages: The On-Paper Costs

These are the tangible, verifiable financial losses you have suffered. We meticulously document every single penny.

• Past & Future Medical Bills: This includes everything from the ambulance ride and surgeries to the cost of future physical therapy/pain management. An understanding of revenue cycle management is crucial to capturing every dollar.
• Past & Future Lost Wages: The income you’ve already lost, plus the wages you will lose over your entire career if your injuries permanently limit your ability to work.

Non-Economic Damages: The Human Cost

This is what the adjuster wants to ignore. These damages compensate you for the profound, personal toll of the injury. In Colorado, they are just as real and just as compensable as a medical bill.

• Pain and Suffering: The physical pain, the agony of recovery, and any chronic pain that becomes your new normal.
• Emotional Distress: The anxiety, depression, fear, and PTSD that follow a traumatic physical injury.
• Loss of Enjoyment of Life: You can no longer hike, play with your grandkids, or simply live without pain. That loss has value.
• Physical Impairment/Disfigurement: Compensation for permanent limitations, scarring, or other physical changes.

An insurance company will never volunteer to pay you for your pain. They’ll pretend it doesn’t count. We prove that it does. For a realistic look at how these factors play out, check our guide on typical slip and fall settlement amounts.

Your Action Plan for the First 24 Hours

In the moments after a fall, you’re in a state of shock. Adrenaline is pumping. It’s tough to think clearly. But what you do right then can make or break your ability to recover what you’re owed.

Here is your immediate plan. Follow it.

1. Get Medical Help Immediately. Your health is priority one. Go to an urgent care or ER, even if you think you’re “fine.” Adrenaline masks serious injuries like concussions or internal bleeding. This creates a medical record linking your injuries directly to the fall. Waiting gives the insurance company an opening to argue you weren’t really hurt.
2. Report the Fall on Site. Tell a manager, owner, or landlord what happened before you leave. Insist they create a written incident report and get a copy. If they won’t, use your phone to email yourself notes on who you spoke to and when.
3. Document the Scene. Use your phone. Take photos and videos of the exact hazard that caused you to fall. Get shots of the surrounding area. This evidence can disappear in minutes.
4. Get Witness Information. If anyone saw you fall, get their name and phone number. A neutral third party who can back up your story is pure gold.
5. Decline the Recorded Statement. When the adjuster calls, be polite but firm. Tell them you will not be providing a recorded statement. Remember, their only goal is to get you to say something they can use against you.

And remember their most common tactic: they will always try to blame you for your own injuries. Do not help them do it.

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Disclaimer: This blog post is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Reading this post does not create an attorney-client relationship. You should consult with a qualified attorney for advice regarding your individual situation.

Call us. The consultation is free, the advice is straightforward, and you’ll walk away knowing exactly where you stand. I got you.