Regardless of your age, health, or activity levels, a slip, trip, or fall could happen anywhere. Although these types of accidents are common, they could result in a serious injury or even death. Slips, trips, and falls are the most frequently-reported accidents in the U.S. and cause nearly a third of all non-fatal injuries. They make up 15% of all accidental deaths per year, second only behind motor vehicle accidents.
Although the result may be the same, slips, trips, and falls technically are different events. A slip is where you lose your footing or balance. A trip is where you lose your balance or footing because your leg, foot, or body hits a fixed object. Both can cause a fall, but falls also can happen because a support structure, like a guardrail, fails or is missing.
We all know that anyone can become a victim of a fall, but older people are at greater risk. About one in four people older than 65 fall each year. Worse, falls cause more than 95% of all hip fractures. They also are the single most common cause of traumatic brain injuries.
Although it may not be possible to eliminate all the tripping or slipping hazards in your life, there are some things you can do to avoid falls.
- Stay alert while walking. Being distracted by your phone, for example, can cause you to miss seeing something slippery on the ground or miss noticing that a part of the ground is uneven.
- Keep your walkways and hallways free of clutter. Things left in these areas could cause you or someone else to trip.
- Replace burnt-out lightbulbs promptly. Having good lighting can help prevent slips or trips.
It’s important to maintain these areas in your home for your own safety and the safety of your guests, and it also protects you from potential liability.
Sometimes these things are out of your control, like when you’re at a store or at work. These places have a duty to keep their premises safe. If you’ve fallen due on someone else’s property, they may be liable. Injuries from a fall can cost a lot of money and take a long time to heal. Having an attorney to guide you through this recovery process can be vital. The Coppola Firm is here to help you or someone you love who has been injured from a slip, trip, or fall.
