Whether your winter is cold and snowy or just plain cold, winter is a time when slip and fall accidents are increasingly likely. Cold, wind, ice and snow are problems on their own and when they combine, it’s a perfect storm of injury possibilities. Typically, these conditions result in bruises and bumps, but there’s always the possibility of a broken bone or head injury. Here are some helpful tips to make sure the weather doesn’t result in a slip and fall.
Wear Proper Winter Clothing
You should concentrate first on getting some good, slip-resistant footwear, to grip on to ice and snow and potentially slippery surfaces better, to prevent that critical first step from happening. Rubber soles on your footwear can help, as can a good gripping texture on the bottom. You should be sure that your shoes or boots fit well to prevent slippage from looseness, and be sure that they have wide, low heels. Leather or plastic soles are more dangerous in the winter.
Go Hands Free
That is, make sure whatever you’re doing, your hands are available to catch you if you should fall. Wearing warm, thick gloves will also help your hands from numbing or from scratches if you do have to catch yourself. Staying hands free in terms of phones and devices is good, too, as they can distract you, leading to more potential accidents.
Walk Safely
Use handrails if they’re available, and take shorter, smaller steps to remain stable. You might not always see a slippery surface coming up, so better safe than sorry when it comes to a slip and fall. Also keep your eye out for slippery floors – melted snow and ice can lead to puddles and extra dangers indoor, as well.
In the Event of a Fall
Knowing how to fall is more important than you might think. Because falls happen suddenly and quickly, some of us might be under the impression there’s no “good way” to fall, but that’s untrue. Understanding how to fall safely can actually help prevent injury. Whether you fall backwards or forwards, use your arms or hands to catch you, to prevent injury to other critical parts of your body. If you fall backwards, tuck your head upwards – always let go of whatever you’re carrying so that you can catch yourself. If you find that you’re injured, yell or call for help.
Seek Medical Attention
If you are clearly injured, you should seek medical attention. If you’re bruised or have some other seemingly minor injury, keep an eye on them, as even with a fracture, you can often still move the fractured bone and not realize there’s a fracture. If you can’t walk on a foot or leg, that’s a good sign you should see a doctor. Swelling is also a sign that you should see someone.
After you’ve sought out medical attention, be sure to contact us so that we can help you get what you deserve after your slip and fall accident.
