Falls Are the Leading Cause of Injury in Canada

According to the Canadian Institute for Health Information, accidental falls were the most common cause of injury resulting in a trip to the emergency department. Last year alone almost 1800 people visited the ED after a fall, with 417 of those people needing an overnight stay in the hospital. While elderly people made up the majority of severely injured patients, children and younger adults also made appearances in the emergency department.

Injuries from falls spike during the winter due to snow, ice, and slippery conditions. Although Hamilton is one of the safest Canadian cities when it comes to slippery sidewalks, a rogue patch of ice can send anyone on an unexpected trip to the hospital.

If you have been seriously injured after an accidental fall caused by an icy sidewalk, poor maintenance, a slippery grocery store floor, or another type of negligence, call Findlay Personal Injury Lawyers at 905-522-9799 today for your complimentary consultation.

Hip and Leg Breaks Are the Most Common Injuries After a Fall

The top most common types of injury sustained after a fall are:

• Broken hip
• Broken lower leg and ankle
• Head injury

Hip breaks are very common, but for elderly people especially they are among the most dangerous kind of injury. Elderly men and women often don’t have the physical fortitude to completely get over a hip injury, and they may end up disabled or even, tragically, dead due to complications from a hip break.

Head injuries can also be extremely serious, and can lead to permanent brain damage or death. Head injuries often have long-term effects that may prevent you from going back to work for a long period of time. Sometimes people are never able to return to work, and cannot earn a living or support their family anymore.

Steps to Take to Reduce Your Risk of Falling

Falls can’t always be prevented, but there are steps you can take to reduce your risk. These include:

• Wear appropriate shoes in winter. Boots with deep tread are much more stable on slippery surfaces.
• Pay attention to your surroundings.
• Be careful on stairs, and hold the handrail.
• Try to avoid walking on poorly maintained, cracked sidewalks.

Even if you are as careful as possible, accidents still happen. If your fall was a result of someone else’s negligence, such as snow that hasn’t been shoveled, ice that hasn’t been salted, sidewalks that weren’t maintained properly, broken stairs, or something else, you may have grounds for a slip and fall lawsuit.

In order to file a slip and fall lawsuit, you must prove that your fall was caused by negligence on the part of a property owner or the city. If you were wearing shoes with no tread and slipped on recently-formed ice that no one had a chance to salt yet, you might have a harder time with your case. Our slip and fall lawyers will be happy to review your case and let you know if you have strong enough grounds for a lawsuit.

Schedule Your Complimentary Consultation

If you have been seriously injured after a slip and fall accident in Ontario, call Findlay Personal Injury Lawyers today at 905-522-9799 to schedule your complimentary consultation. We serve clients in Hamilton, Burlington, Brantford, and other nearby areas of Ontario.