What are Common Shoulder Injuries*?
Shoulder injuries can happen on the road, in a public place or at work. In a car accident, your shoulder could be damaged on impact, in a public place, it is generally a slip and fall accident that causes the injury and at work, slip and fall claims repetitive strain injuries are the most common. Some of the most common shoulder injuries are:
- Frozen Shoulder
- Dislocations
- Rotator Cuff Disorders
- Osteoarthritis
- Ligament Injury
- Bursitis
- Separated Shoulder
- Fractured Collarbone
- Muscular Injuries
- Chipped Bones
- Sprains
- Repetitive Shoulder Injuries
- Injuries affecting Brachial Plexus
What are the Causes of Shoulder Injuries?
In a Public Place
Accidents in a public place can be quite common can lead to several injuries being sustained. In these cases, it is often the owner or manager who is seen as liable for the accident. They have a duty of care to provide a safe working environment for all visitors to the premises and are required to ensure that there is no hazard which could potentially lead to an injury being sustained. If there are risks identified that cannot be dealt with in a timely manner there should be a warning sign in place to make people aware of this. This is a very important step in the prevention of accidents.
Common causes of shoulder injuries in a public place can include;
- Slipping and falling on wet floors or spillages where there were no warning signs in place. This can happen in various locations such as shops, restaurants, supermarkets, pubs or bars.
- Uneven surfaces can also lead to slip and fall accidents.
- Spillages which have not been cleaned up in a timely manner. This is one of the most common causes of accidents in a public place.
- Inadequate lighting can make it difficult for people to see what is around them.
- Hazards which have been left on the floor can cause people to trip and sustain a shoulder injury.
- Poorly maintained pathways and facilities
- Broken handrails
In the Workplace
Accidents at work are very common and employees can sustain various injuries throughout their employment. Employers are responsible for the health and safety of their employees during the course of their work. They are required to carry out frequent risk assessments which help them to both identify and eliminate hazards which could potentially lead to an injury being sustained. Employees should be made aware of the results of these assessments. It is also important that employees know about the health and safety regulations which are in place as this can help to prevent accidents. Untrained employees are more likely to sustain an injury as they may not be carrying out their work in a safe manner.
Common causes of workplace shoulder injuries include;
- Slips and fall on equipment or tools which have been left on the floor.
- Inadequate training provided to employees.
- Lack of personal protective equipment provided to employees which is needed for their work.
- Poor manual handling techniques and training
- Incorrect tools being used for their work
- Failing to provide a safe working environment
- Repetitive strain injury can lead to shoulder injuries if left untreated.
- Falling from a height
- Poor lighting in the workplace
In such cases, liability may rest on the employer if it is proven that they did not provide a hazard free working environment.
On the Road
On the road, there are many scenarios whereby a person could experience a shoulder injury because of another person’s actions/inactions. In these cases where you can prove that your injury could have been avoided if the other party had not acted negligently, you may be entitled to pursue legal action.
Some examples of road traffic accidents involving an injury to the shoulder have been:
To make a claim for a shoulder injury you must be able to prove that it was caused by another person. A solicitor can help you in gathering all relevant evidence to prove liability.