Each year, more than 8 million Americans end up visiting emergency rooms after a fall. According to the National Floor Safety Institute (NFSI), these occasions account for just over 21 percent of all hospital visits. Slips and falls account for 12 percent of these types of incidents.
Data collected by the NFSI shows that women are more likely to become involved in a slip-and-fall incident than their male counterparts. Despite this, Bureau of Labor Statistics data shows that of all falls that occur in the workplace, women are involved in only 5 percent of them. Men are involved in 11 percent of them. The fall-related fatality rate between the two genders is equal.
According to the NFSI, slips and falls are the No. 1 reason workers aged 55 or over are hurt on the job. Faulty flooring materials are frequently to blame these injuries. In fact, Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) data shows that at least 2 million falls each year are caused by poorly maintained flooring materials.
Data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) shows that 33 percent of those who suffer a fall are 65 and older. At least half of them will experience a second fall later on. Of the nearly 2 million elderly individuals who are treated in emergency rooms for fall-related injuries each year, many will die from them.
In fact, fall-related injuries such as hip fractures are described as one of the top two types of accidents that individuals within this age bracket are involved in. In fact, of those who die from falls, 60 percent of the victims are age 75 or older. Falls are the leading injury that kills those age 85 or older. At least 60 percent of all nursing home residents fall at some point during the year.
Slips and falls can happen at both residential and commercial properties. Floors that have standing water or are heavily waxed, dimly lit staircases, icy sidewalks and other hazards are often the places where slip and falls occur. If you’re planning to file a lawsuit against the owner of the property where your incident happened, then you’ll want to have a New York attorney who has achieved past results handle your case.
