Slip-and-fall accidents are often dismissed as being “not as serious” as vehicle crashes, but the truth is that many people are injured and die in falls each year. In fact, while about 1.35 million people die in car crashes each year worldwide, about half that number, or 684,000, die in falls each year. This makes falls one of the leading causes of accidental death worldwide.
According to the National Fall Safety Institute:
- Fall fatalities are divided relatively evenly between men and women.
- Falls account for five percent of job-related fatalities for women and 11 percent for men.
- More than 8 million people are treated in hospital emergency rooms for falls each year, accounting for 21.3 percent, or nearly a quarter, of all ER visits. This makes falls the leading cause of emergency room treatment.
- Slip and fall accidents account for more than 1 million emergency room visits or 12 percent of all falls.
- Five percent of all fall victims will experience a fracture of some type.
- Slip and fall accidents are the primary reason for lost workdays, and are the leading cause of occupational injury for people 55 and over. Falls are the leading type of workers’ compensation claim.
- Flooring materials contribute to more than 2 million falls each year. In fact, 85 percent of all work-related falls can be attributed to slippery flooring material.
- Almost a quarter of all slip-and-fall accidents result in more than 31 lost workdays. It is estimated that falls cost around $70 billion annually in lost productivity and expenses.
- While falls occur in all areas of employment, fatal falls are primarily a problem in construction and mining.
- Falls from an elevation account for about 40 percent of all serious injuries, while 60 percent are from falls on the same level.
- Falls are the leading cause of death in the home, surpassing fires, drownings, and other accidents. About half of all home-related accidental deaths are caused by falls. Most of these falls occur on the same level, not from a height.
- For older people, in particular, hip fractures are the most common serious injury from falls.
- Older people are particularly susceptible to fall injuries. About a third of all people over the age of 65 fall each year. Many of them fall multiple times in their lives.
- Over 15,000 deaths of people age 65 and over were directly attributed to a fall, and about 1.8 million people over 65 received emergency room treatment from falls. For those over 85, falls are the leading cause of accidental death.
- For people over 65, falls are the leading cause of traumatic brain injury and spinal cord injuries.
- Falls represent the cause of 40 percent of nursing home admissions. Over 60 percent of nursing home residents fall each year.
If you have suffered injuries in a slip-and-fall, whether at work or elsewhere, contact Barber & Associates. We want to work with you to help you recover all the money to which you are entitled to pay for your expenses and your pain and suffering.