At least 21.3% of all Americans, or 8 million people, visit the emergency room each year after suffering a slip-and-fall incident. This means that some 8 million Americans are treated for injuries resulting from this type of accident each year. Certain people are more frequently injured than others.
Data compiled by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) shows that many slips and falls happen in the workplace. At least 11% of these incidents involve male employees. Another 5% involve female employees. The majority of the workers who are hurt on the job are 55 or older.
One of the most serious injuries that slip-and-fall victims may suffer is a broken bone. Approximately 5% of individuals are left with this type of injury each year. Strains and sprains are relatively minor injuries. Some individuals who slip and fall are left with temporary or permanent disabilities or die.
The most common reason individuals are injured at home is due to a fall at the same level. National Floor Safety Institute (NFSI) data shows that only 40% of slips and falls happen from an elevation whereas 60% of them happen on a level plane.
Data compiled by the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) shows that flooring is responsible for at least 2 million injuries each year.
The elderly are most vulnerable to getting hurt in this type of incident. At least 33% of individuals older than 65 have experienced a fall. Many of them have had more than one. One of the most common types of injuries among this population is hip fractures. This type of injury often results in elderly individuals not being allowed to return home. At least 65% of those who die from slips and falls are age 75 or older. Slips and falls are the No. 1 cause of injury-related deaths among individuals 85 and older.
There are slip-and-fall incidents that happen at grocery stores, on sidewalks, in office buildings, at amusement parks and all other types of places each year here in Sarasota. While some of these incidents that happen can be blamed on an individual’s negligence, there’s often someone else who is liable for most of them. You may want to allow an accident attorney to review the details of your incident to see where liability lies in your Florida case.