Slip and Fall Accident Statistics: Revealing the Human Cost
One thing we take for granted in the modern age is the sheer amount of data we can access at any given time. The science of statistics has grown exponentially in the computer age, as a greater ability to acquire, warehouse, analyze, and display data has affected virtually every field of human endeavor. Analog humans from ages of almanacs, encyclopedias, and dictionaries could scarcely imagine the far-reaching consequences of this kind of access. While the data driven character of modern sports, entertainment, civic affairs, and more are well known, even the field of personal injury law and public safety awareness can benefit from this surplus of information. Today’s Malloy Law Offices blog post will demonstrate this principle in action, as we dive into the world of slip and fall accident statistics.
With Thanks to the NFSI
For most of the data we’ll be utilizing today, we owe a heartfelt thanks to the National Floor Safety Institute (NFSI) as well as their partners in the National Safety Council (NSC) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). It is their work, and the work of other public safety-minded organizations both public and private, which allows us to communicate safety advice backed by real-world facts to the readers of this blog. Our position in the field of personal injury law has taught us the real human cost of severe injuries and demonstrated the value of public safety awareness. A little awareness really can go a long way.
Slip and Fall Accident Statistics
In Broad Terms
- Falls account for over 8 million hospital emergency room visits, representing the leading cause of visits (21.3%). Slips and falls account for over 1 million visits, or 12% of total falls.
- According to the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), floors and flooring materials contribute directly to more than 2 million fall injuries each year.
- Half of all accidental deaths in the home are caused by a fall. Most fall injuries in the home happen at ground level, not from an elevation.
- Fractures are the most common serious consequences of falls and occur in roughly 5% of victims who fall.
For Senior Citizens
- According to The National Institute on Aging, one in three adults over 65 will fall at least once a year, of which 10% will result in a serious injury.
- Within a single calendar year, approximately 1.8 million adults over 65 received emergency room treatment as a consequence of a fall, according to the CDC.
- Falls are the primary cause of injury-related death for individuals 85 years of age or older, and the second most common cause for those 65 to 84 years of age.
- Risk of a serious fall increases with each decade of life
- Sixty percent of all fall-related deaths involve individuals 75 years of age or older.
- Falls are the sixth most common cause of death for individuals 70 years of age or older and account for 40% of all nursing facility admissions.
- Every year, more than 60% of people in nursing homes will fall.
- Victims 75 years of age or older account for 67% of fatal falls.
- Falls are the second most common cause of TBI and spinal cord injuries in adults over 65, and account for 87% of all fractures.
- Within this category, hip fractures are the most serious and lead to the greatest number of deaths.
- People over the age of 85 are 10-15 times more likely to experience a hip fracture than people between the ages of 60-65.
- Half of all elderly adults (over the age of 65) hospitalized for hip fractures cannot return home or live independently after the fracture.
In The Workplace
- The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that falls were responsible for 5% of women’s work-related deaths and 11% of men’s.
- Employees slipping on slick surfaces are the cause of 85% of worker’s compensation claims (Industrial Safety & Occupational Health Markets, 5th edition).
- According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, 22% of slip/fall accidents resulted in more than 31 days off from work (2002).
- Compensation & medical costs associated with employee slip/fall accidents is approximately $70 billion annually (National Safety Council Injury Facts 2003 edition).
- Occupational fatalities due to falls are approximately 600 per year down from 1200 during since the 1970s.
- Falls occur in virtually all manufacturing and service sectors. Fatal falls however are most common in construction, mining and certain maintenance activities.
- According to Workers Compensation statistics from ITT-Hartford Insurance Company, falls account for 16% of all claims and 26% of all costs. This compares to 33% of costs associated with sprains and strains.
- According to the American Trucking Association, slips and falls are the leading cause of compensable injury in the trucking industry.
How Malloy Law Can Help
We hope this brief account of slip and fall accident statistics has given you new perspective on this often misunderstood category of personal injury. If you or a loved one has been injured as a result of a fall, contact Malloy Law today. Whether you’re pursuing litigation or just seeking to file worker’s compensation, our experienced team of attorneys will evaluate your case free of charge and plot a path to just compensation. Call Malloy Law today and let’s win your case.
