When people slip because of wet floors or trip on crumpled rugs or exposed power cords at a casino, they could end up severely injured. Some people damage their spinal cords or injure their brains when they fall. Compared to such severe and dramatic injuries, a broken bone or fracture might not seem that serious. After all, medical professionals can set a broken bone, and the human body actively works to repair a fracture site over the course of several weeks or months.
What visitors at entertainment venues like casinos in the Las Vegas area may fail to consider, however, is how “just” a broken bone might end up turning into a major issue for them in the future.
It could cause financial challenges
Particularly if the person who fell is from somewhere other than Nevada, the most pressing concern about their medical treatment is likely their out-of-network status. Most insurance policies only provide comprehensive coverage when someone is near home and visiting a hospital or doctor’s office that has negotiated a specific contract with the insurance company.
Someone from Washington or Maryland may end up responsible for most or all of the cost of the care that they receive in a Nevada hospital when they break their arm. They may also incur numerous secondary expenses because they have to extend their stay, secure accommodations and buy a new plane ticket home after their treatment.
It could be a very bad break
Many broken bones are simple fractures where the bone only breaks in one place. However, some fractures are much worse than others. The circumstances of someone’s fall and their underlying medical conditions may put them at elevated risk of a severe fracture.
People can break one bone in multiple places in what doctors call a comminuted fracture. Such fractures often require surgery and implanted support for the bone to heal. People could also have compound or open fractures where the bone pushes through the skin, which will also require surgery. Sometimes, a break may be simple, but the body doesn’t heal properly. The rare but debilitating medical condition called complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS) sometimes develops as a result of a broken bone and can affect someone’s functionality for the rest of their life.
The possibility of major expenses and severe injuries is exactly why anyone who slips and falls in a public facility like a casino should report the matter before leaving to seek medical care. Doing so could help them to seek compensation for their expenses down the road. Recognizing the potential seriousness of one’s injury can help someone to more effectively respond to a harmful fall that occurs a public place.