Understanding Headaches After a Slip and Fall

Posted in Slip and Fall Accidents on October 24, 2025

Falls are one of the most common causes of injuries in New York and elsewhere. Slip-and-fall accidents are the second leading cause of injury-related deaths worldwide, resulting in over 37 million emergency room visits each year. Falls are the most common cause of traumatic brain injuries (TBIs), which range in severity from mild concussions to diffuse axonal injury with permanent impairment. In addition, slip-and-fall injuries can cause a wide range of other injuries, with headaches as a major symptom of trauma.

Reach out to a Brooklyn slip and fall lawyer today to pursue the financial compensation you deserve — call (212) 564-2800.

Understanding Headache Symptoms After a Slip and Fall Accident

A slip and fall often causes immediately noticeable injuries, such as broken bones, sprains, strains, and torn ligaments. Often, these urgent, immediate symptoms take the forefront. In contrast, milder symptoms go unnoticed until hours or even days after the initial fall, when headaches begin presenting as a symptom of trauma. Common symptoms of headaches that could indicate an injury after a fall include the following:

Headaches that increase in intensity
Headache with nausea and vomiting
Dizziness
Difficulty with memory, focus, and concentration
Headache with vision problems, such as blurred or double vision
Headache with ringing in the ears
Stiffness of the neck and shoulders
Numbness or tingling in the extremities
Headaches with changes in mood and personality
Sensitivity to light and sound
Sleep disturbances

You should always undergo emergency care or have an examination after a slip-and-fall accident, but it’s crucial to seek medical care if you develop any of the above headache symptoms during the hours or days after a fall.

Then, make sure to contact a premises liability lawyer in Brooklyn to be compensated for your injuries.

What Might Cause Headaches After a Slip and Fall Accident

During a slip-and-fall accident, the body typically slips painfully out of alignment before suffering the blunt-force trauma of impact with the ground or floor, sometimes also hitting obstacles on the way down. The most common causes of slip-and-fall accident headaches include the following injuries:

Traumatic brain injury
Whiplash (injury to the structures of the cervical spine at the base of the skull caused by the rapid back and forth motion of the head during the fall)
Nerve injuries, such as pinched nerves
Fractured vertebrae with bone fragments, causing inflammation and pressure against nerves in the spinal column
Skull fractures
Muscle spasms in the neck, shoulders, or upper back

In some cases, the trauma of a fall causes post-traumatic headaches resulting from the tensing of muscles during the fall.

What are the Physical and Financial Impacts of Headaches After a Slip-and-Fall?

After a fall, it’s tempting to get up and brush yourself off without causing a scene or seeking medical care; however, postponing medical treatment can worsen the effects of the injury. Still, if headaches develop soon after a fall, it’s crucial to seek medical care and undergo tests to determine the cause of headaches.

When a slip-and-fall accident causes injuries requiring medical treatment, the costs add up quickly. A fall victim may experience mounting medical bills while also needing time away from work to recover. In the worst cases, a traumatic brain injury could require rehabilitative and occupational therapy or leave permanent impairment.

Although a personal injury lawsuit against a negligent property owner who failed to correct a slip-and-fall hazard doesn’t undo the harm caused, it addresses the financial aspects of the injury and provides compensation for pain and suffering and catastrophic injury damages.