George K.
When someone slips on an icy sidewalk it can feel humiliating when other people are watching. It’s easy to discount the event as ‘silly me’ and to shrug off the incident as an embarrassment.
When someone views the big picture, however, everything changes. The statistics regarding slips and falls are quite concerning. These events should no longer be viewed as ‘one off’ cases, but part of a much bigger trend. Let’s assess the data together right now.
Accidents At Work
In the United Kingdom, slip and fall accidents at work are the prime reason that people experience major injuries. American trends are worrying too. According to the lawyers at https://bayoucitylaw.com/slip-and-fall-attorney-in-houston-tx/ employee negligence is often responsible. The OSHA says that slip and fall accidents at work bring about 700 deaths each year. One could think of poor lighting and missing handrails. There’s also badly maintained stairs and electric cables across floors.
A survey revealed that when people have a fall, they usually need 11 days off work to recover. According to EHS Today, transport-related deaths are the no. 1 killer at work, with slips and falls in second place.
Accidents And Hospitals
Each and every year, 8 million people have a fall in America. Over 1 million of these people end up in hospital emergency rooms. It is interesting to note that the average hospital costs for each person amounts to around $30,000.
The Centers For Disease Control and Prevention also collate statistics on the subject. They say that non fatal falls cost $50 billion per annum. If we include fatal falls, there is an additional $754 million. Three quarters of this money is paid by Medicaid and Medicare.
A different report said that medical bills relating to falls totalled $34 billion each year in the USA. Whatever the exact figure is, this scenario is a major factor in many bankruptcy cases.
Accidents And Age
One report said that a third of adults over the age of 65 have such an accident every year. The findings of the National Council on Aging said the figure is 25%. Discussions with nursing home managers revealed that 60% of their residents have a fall during the year. One survey said that elderly adults need medical treatment following a fall every 11 minutes. Even more worrying is the fact that people from this age group die from a fall every 19 minutes.
The average cost to treat a hip fracture on an elderly person amounts to $300,000. This is because invasive surgery is frequently required. Research confirms that 95% of such cases occurred when a person slipped and fell. One heartbreaking statistic says that one half of older people who receive a hip fracture are unable to come back home.
It appears that slips and falls are the most common cause of accidents for all ages, barring one category. It is the second highest cause for young people between the ages of 10 and 24.
The Injuries Sustained
One report said that slips and falls can result in a fifth of the victims experiencing severe injuries. Another statistic said this ranges between 20% and 30%. Snowy weather brings its own perils with slippery roads, paths and ice. As a result 33,000 to 48,000 snow-related accidents occur annually as a result.
People can end up with a wide range of medical issues if they fall over. 5% of such people break bones. Others experience fractures, bruises or spinal cord injuries. People may have pain in their back or neck. There’s also herniated discs and knee injuries.
At the most extreme end of the scale, some people receive traumatic brain injuries whilst others end up as cases of wrongful death.
The Causes And The Compensation
People slip and fall pretty much anywhere, from shops and restaurants to workplaces and hotels. When such an event was avoidable, many people employ personal injury lawyers to prove that negligence was involved. Perhaps there were slippery sidewalks or potholes in the parking lot. There may have been broken equipment or inadequately maintained premises.
If someone is successful in their legal case they may receive financial compensation from the third party. This may be to cover such things as current and future medical bills, or loss of earnings. There may be aspects of trauma, pain and emotional suffering too.
As we have now discovered, slips and falls are commonplace. Huge amounts of money are involved. This explains the desire of many to gain financial compensation when negligence has occurred. People are urged to take care every day, especially when they are elderly and more vulnerable.
