If you have never thought about the potential dangers associated with slip& fall accidents, you’re not alone. This is despite the fact that in the USA, such accidents are responsible for causing serious injuries. It is worth noticing that slip & fall accidents are often incredibly expensive, including lost wages and medical bills that may put anyone in a tough financial position.
Keep in mind that if a property owner doesn’t take care of risky surface hazards, it increases the chances of slip and fall accidents. However, a majority of these accidents or incidents are preventable. If your property owner shows negligence in managing property appropriately, you have the right to file a law suit. But to make sure your lawsuit leans in your favor, you must know the facts and statistics.
Here, we have outlined 14 facts about slip & fall accidents you should know to stand your chance.
14 Facts about Slip & Fall Accidents
1. Slip & Fall Accidents are theMost Important Cause of Injury for Age Groups
Typically, slip & fall accidents are more serious for elderly people or older adults. But it doesn’t mean that young people or children don’t slip or fall. In fact, it is one of the leading causes of fatal or non-fatal injuries in almost all age groups.
As per the National Center for Injury Prevention and Control survey, cases of slip & fall accidents are relatively less common in individuals between the ages 11 and 25.Despite this fact, such incidents are the second-most common reason for injuries in this age group. Though injuries are non-fatal compared to older adults, they can, in some cases, send sufferers to the emergency room.
2. More Than One Million Individuals Go To an Emergency Rooms for Slip & Fall Accidents Each Year
The fact may sound bizarre to you, but more than one million individuals need immediate medical assistance after they slip and fall. That makes an average of over 2000 people going to the hospital each day after a slip & fall accident. More than eight million emergency visits occur due to unintentional falls, out of which 12% are serious accidents.
3. Slip and Fall Accidents May Cost People between $30,000 to $40,000
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that the average medical bill of a slip & fall accident may go above $30,000. The cost not only devastates families financially with soaring medical charges for physical therapy, lost wages, and potential disability but also increases insurance costs.
4. Medical Bill for Slip & Fall Accidents Total is More Than $34 Billion Yearly
Slip & fall accidents causing major injuries may cost more than $34 billion annually. Medical bills may leave families financially destroyed. The victim may also need to pay additional medical bills after an unexpected incident.
5. A Victim of Slip & Fall Accidents Misses an Average of Eleven days at work
Slip and fall accidents are a significant reason businesses and companies face loss of work productivity. An employee who meets a slip & fall accident typically requires more than ten days to heal and recover, so they’ll miss about eleven days of work.
However, this period may extend if the nature of the injury is serious and the person is not able to return to work for months. In these cases, the worker also loses a significant amount of money or income while during his or her recovery period.
6. Incidences of Slip & Fall Increase with Each Decade of Life
Yes, you read it correctly —the risk of slipping and falling increases as you age. In fact, approximately one-third of elderly people (age between 60 and 80) experience frequent slip & fall accidents in the USA, particularly in California. These accidents are also common in people or employees over 55.
7. FivePercent People Break Bones When Fall
No matter how scary it may sound, it is one of the facts you should not overlook. Five percent of people slip or fall multiple fractured bones. 20% of these accidents often involve serious injuries, so they require weeks of recovery time and limit the victim’s movement.
8.Falls are Cause of Painful brain injuries.
Falling or slipping is the leading cause of braininjuries in people.It is because whenpeople fall, they often hit their head on the ground, a door, or a table surface. It causes traumaticbrain injuries, which may have lingering effects on the victim.
9. 95 Percent of Hip Fractures are Due To Fall & Slip Accident
Hip fractures are injuries that require invasive surgical treatments. In normal cases, recovery takes months and often requires physical therapy. It restricts victims’ mobility and can have life-altering changes, including suffering and pain.
10.Very few Slip& Fall Accidents Cases Have Jury Trials
Victims of slip &fall accidents are usually hesitant to file a personal injury case and testify in the legal procedures. That is why only 2% of personal injury or slip & fall cases lead to any jury trial.
11.Fatalities are Nearly Equally Divided between men and women
Fall fatalities are nearly equally divided between men and women. However, more women will experience a slip-and-fall accident. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, falls accounted for 5% of the job-related fatalities for women compared to 11% for men.
12.Every three persons in US over the age of 65 will experience a fall
Each year in the United States, one of every three persons over the age of 65 will experience a fall. Half of which are repeat fallers.
13.1.8 million people over the age of 65 were treated in an emergency room as a result of a fall
The CDC also reports that approximately 1.8 million people over the age of 65 were treated in an emergency room as a result of a fall.
14.Falls are the second leading cause of injury-related death
For people aged 65-84 years, falls are the second leading cause of injury-related death; for those aged 85 years or older, falls are the leading cause of injury-related death.
Summing Up
Overall, the facts and statistics highlight the importance of safety precautions you must take to keep yourself safe from any slip& fall accident.
