Slips and falls are a chronic problem for older Americans. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) statistics show that one in four adults over the age of 65 falls in the U.S. every year. Surprisingly, less than half of those seniors who fall report it to their doctors. That same data also shows that once a person has fallen, they’re twice as likely to do it again.
Falling causes severe injuries that can be quite expensive to treat. CDC statistics show that one out of every five falls results in someone suffering significant injuries such as head trauma and broken bones. Falling is so consequential that more than three million seniors receive treatment in emergency rooms after suffering falls every year.
Nearly one million patients are hospitalized due to falls each year. Most of these hospitalizations are for hip fractures or head injuries. CDC statistics show that more than 300,000 people end up spending time in a hospital recovering from hip injuries every year. Falls cause at least 95% of these hospitalizations.
It’s not uncommon for traumatic brain injuries to result from falls. Medicare and Medicaid pay for 75% of the more than $50 billion in annual bills associated with falls.
After a person has suffered a fall, they often become leery of falling again. As a result, they decrease their physical activities and become weaker, thereby increasing their chances of suffering another tumble.
Although older people are most vulnerable to falling, younger individuals suffer injuries in such incidents as well. These events may happen due to floors being slippery, uneven pavement, cracks in sidewalks or poorly lit or cluttered staircases. You may be able to sue a Sarasota property owner for negligence if you get hurt. Your Sarasota Slip and Fall attorney will want to know more about what happened leading up to your incident before advising you of your right to sue the property owner per Florida law.
