Brampton personal injury lawyers regularly deal with cases where people are injured in slip and fall or trip and fall accidents. While such accidents may not have as serious an impact on younger people, they can prove extremely detrimental to the health of seniors.

If you or a dear one has suffered injuries in such an accident, contact the nearest personal injury lawyer in Brampton. You may be entitled to compensation.

The WHO defines falls as events which result in a person coming to rest inadvertently on the floor, ground or floor-level. Falls are considered to be a major public health problem and nearly 38 million of them are severe enough to require medical attention annually.

Falls Are Avoidable

Public Health Agency of Canada figures reveal that 20-30% of seniors sustain falls and these are the cause of 85% of hospitalizations among them. Although nearly 50% of such falls take place in homes, seniors who venture outdoors are at risk too. Falls can take place on sidewalks, in supermarkets/malls, parking-lots, parks, etc.

Poor visibility/lighting, snow/ice/rain, ill-fitting footwear, badly-maintained premises, broken pavements/stairs/steps, floors not designed for older people, missing hand-rails, liquid spills, uneven floors, unanchored/worn/frayed carpets and rugs, clutter, loose cables, gravel, grease etc are some of the hazards that cause falls. It’s important to stay safe, alert and in command of your faculties while walking.

Unfortunately, most of these accidents are preventable. Premises owners of residences, commercial properties, parking lots etc whether privately or publicly owned, have a responsibility to keep their properties in a reasonably good state of repair so that they’re not dangerous to all legitimate visitors.

Impact of Falls

Falls can cause fractures, impact/crush injuries, traumatic brain injuries, neck/spinal damage, shock-related impact, uncontrolled bleeding in those who take blood-thinners, etc.

Hip-fractures occur most commonly in seniors, causing a huge impact on self-confidence, health and mobility in older people. They affect socialization and make the victim more dependent on a caregiver. Seniors’ ability to recover and time taken is dramatically increased due to their age and health status and surgical intervention may not be advised. Recovery can be slow and painful.

According to one report “…. studies have identified falls and fall-related injuries as a strong predictor of admission to a long-term care (LTC) home.”  There are other studies that show that seniors who have been seriously injured in falls could die within one year and such falls are the most common cause of traumatic brain injury in seniors. They also develop phobias, fears and anxieties about venturing out again, and this in turn leads to other physical and emotional problems.

Once bedridden, they’re vulnerable to developing pressure-sores and muscle atrophy. If they already have diabetes or other chronic issues, their situation can worsen rapidly.

Hence, seniors who slip and fall develop serious issues that require continuous and expensive medical treatment, therapies and care. Large medical bills, dedicated care, inconvenience to other family members, cognitive and behavioral changes etc are some of the other resultant problems.

An experienced Brampton slip and fall injury lawyer can advise and assist you in such a situation.