Slip and fall accidents are sudden, frustrating, costly, and even deadly in some cases. Whether you’re worried about falling yourself, or you want to keep your business place (or even home) safe from slip and fall accidents, educating yourself is critical. To help you on this journey, it helps to share some common, must-know facts that are related to slip and fall accidents. Without further ado, here are ten of the must-know facts about slip and fall accidents that everyone should know:
Table of Contents
1. Fractures are Commonplace
Fractures are considered the most consequential and serious injury that is commonly sustained during a slip and fall accident, and these happen in 5% of all cases. Because fractures are both serious and seriously expensive to treat, they lead to many of the lawsuits that occur in the aftermath of a slip and fall accident at a business, or a person’s private residence.
2. Your Risk Goes Up as You Age
With every decade of life a person lives, the chances of them getting into a slip and fall accident drastically increases. The chances of a serious injury being sustained increase significantly as well. Elderly people are recommended to always wear footwear that will help them stay steady on their feet to avoid slip and fall accidents for this very reason. If staying upright is difficult, getting a walker or another form of support is highly recommended.
3. Slip and Fall Deaths are More Common than You Think
The CDC often reports upwards of 15,000 people dying from slip and fall accidents every year, and nearly 2,000,000 elderly people find themselves in the ER after slip and fall accidents yearly. The tragic nature of these deaths leads to costly lawsuits for whatever party is found at fault. If you want to keep your business safe or prevent a costly fall at your private residence, you need to study up on how to make your place as fall-free as humanly possible.
4. Older People are More Susceptible to Slip and Fall Deaths
When fatalities do occur from a slip and fall accident, over 67% of the fatalities involve people who are aged 75 years or older. Once again, every decade that you age increases the fatal risks and complications that can result from a slip and fall accident. As you get older, staying vigilant about the environments you exist in becomes one of your best tools in avoiding a tragic slip and fall-related accident.
5. Slip and Fall Accidents are Professionally Disruptive
Slip and fall accidents can lead to the victim taking a lot of time off of work to heal properly. Over 22% of slip and fall accidents require the victim to take more than 31 days off of work to heal fully. Because this can disrupt a person’s finances and profession in such an intense manner, the costs of settling slip and fall-related lawsuits are often quite high. If you have experienced a slip and fall accident, and need restitution to stay afloat, the professionals at rosenfeldinjurylawyers.com/slip-and-fall-accidents.html can help.
6. Workplaces Have Become Much Safer
While slip and fall accidents remain a serious workplace hazard, the estimated frequency of them has significantly declined since the 1970s, and the rate has often been calculated to be less than half of what it was in the seventies. With more effort toward keeping workplaces safe, hopefully, the rates of costly, and even deadly, slip and fall accidents will continue to fall at a drastic rate.
7. Truckers are at Greater Risk of Experiencing a Slip and Fall Accident
The American Trucking Industry lists slip and fall accidents as the leading cause of compensable injuries in the trucking industry, putting truckers at greater risk for these unfortunate accidents. So if you’re a trucker, keep extra safe in the hazardous environments you’re working within.
8. Nursing Home Falls are Much too Common
While not all slip and fall accidents are not always serious at nursing homes, they remain incredibly common. While it seems hard to believe, it’s estimated that over 60% of nursing home residents experience a fall every single year. Due to this, making sure anyone that you know in a nursing home has proper, slip-resistant slippers is crucial.
9. Elderly People are the Most At-Risk Population
Elderly people remain the most at-risk population that regularly experience slip and fall accidents. Falls are estimated to account for more than 87% of all fractures that people over the age of 65 experience. Reach out to your elderly loved ones to make sure they feel safe in their own homes. As you age, having a will in place can help protect your estate in the unfortunate case that a tragic accident befalls you.
10. The Battle of the Sexes is at a Stalemate
Fall fatalities are divided in an almost even fashion between men and women. However, as we mentioned before, elderly people are much more likely to experience serious or fatal consequences when involved in a slip and fall accident.
Stay Safe, Stay Slip and Fall Accident-Free
Whether you’re protecting your home, your business, or a loved one, being aware of the facts surrounding slip and fall accidents is the first step. Now that you’re feeling more aware of just how serious slip and fall accidents can be, you’ll be that much more prepared to avoid a disastrous, devastating situation.