A slip and fall is an accident that virtually anyone can be involved in at some point in their life. Some accidents, such as construction accidents, are only likely to affect individuals who are exposed to unique hazards that most of us can avoid. However, a falling accident can occur in a variety of settings for numerous potential reasons. You don’t have to have a particular occupation or engage in any particular type of activity to be at risk of injuring yourself in a fall.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and various other agencies and organizations have gathered data regarding the frequency and severity of falling accidents in the United States. Some of their most significant findings are outlined below:
You already know that falling from a height can result in major harm to an individual. However, unless you have been injured in a slip and fall accident yourself, you might assume that slipping or tripping over a hazard is not likely to cause serious injury.
This is an understandable assumption. Unfortunately, falling accidents, even when they don’t involve falling from heights, can cause much greater harm than you might realize.
Data from the CDC indicates that approximately one out of every five falling accidents in the US results in some form of injury that’s severe enough to be categorized as “serious.” These injuries often consist of broken bones.
A person may break bones in their hands, wrists, or arms during a falling accident if they attempt to catch themselves mid-fall by thrusting out their arms to grab onto a surface or prevent their head from striking the floor. This instinctive response can result in accidental injury.
Some falling accidents also cause serious head injuries. If a head injury is severe enough, trauma to the brain can potentially result in cognitive difficulties, mood changes, and other such consequences. CDC data indicates that falling accidents are the leading cause of traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) in the country.
Approximately 800,000 patients must be hospitalized every year after being harmed in falling accidents. Again, this is only in the US.
Hospitalization tends to be required when falling accidents result in head injuries or hip injuries. In fact, falling accidents account for about 95% of all hip fractures in the country.
Age is a major factor contributing to the potential severity of the injuries a person may sustain if they are involved in a falling accident. Emergency departments in the US treat approximately three million elderly patients every year for injuries resulting from falls.
Unfortunately, while you can exercise caution to limit your chances of being harmed in a falling accident, it’s still theoretically possible to be involved in such an accident resulting from the negligence of a property owner or other such party. Falling accidents are also fairly common in some working environments.
If you’re ever involved in such an accident, you may be able to recover compensation for your medical bills and other such losses. Learn more about your legal options by calling Soloff & Zervanos at 215-929-7216 or contacting us online to schedule your free consultation.