A fall could happen anytime to anyone. Specific occupations involve manual labor, which could increase fall risks. Fortunately, most injuries caused by slips and falls are minor. They could be mild enough to skip going to the doctor.
However, specific groups of people could be more prone to slip-and-fall injuries, such as older adults. Falls are common among elders, with over one out of four experiencing falls annually. Emergency rooms receive around three million older adults for fall injuries every year.
Additionally, older adults are more prone to severe fall accidents than other age groups. Around 800,000 elderly patients go to the hospital due to severe fall injuries, including head trauma, hip fractures and broken bones.
Medical care for these incidents could also be extensive, resulting in a hefty bill. In 2015 alone, over $50 billion went to medical costs for injuries caused by falls. Medicaid and Medicare covered only around 75% of that amount, which could require other funding sources to cover their medical expenses.
Falls could be expensive. Unfortunately, they might have limited financial resources to cover their medical bills.
Health issues could cause falls
Elders usually experience health conditions that could increase fall risks. Some medication could affect their balance, and they tend to have poor vision at their age. A combination of factors could make them fall, such as when an object obstructs their path while walking in public.
It could be a misplaced box at the grocery store or an unnoticeable bump on a poorly designed walkway. Regardless, they could make any elder fall, causing severe physical harm. Depending on the circumstances, a slip-and-fall victim could file a claim if someone else’s negligence led to their injury.
The claim’s validity could vary based on the situation. Still, receiving legal advice could help the victim determine their eligibility to take legal action and recover damages after a severe slip-and-fall accident.