Great risks come from falls, older Americans at an increased risk

Slip-and-fall accidents lead to severe injuries. Unfortunately, many different things can lead to this type of incident. No matter how old the person who falls is, they might suffer from broken bones. The risk of this happening is more significant for older people because of the presence of osteoporosis or weakened bones.

Osteoporosis doesn’t have any symptoms, so the victim of the fall might not know there was anything wrong. This means that they have weakened bones and aren’t as strong as they could be. For older Americans, falls are a leading cause of accidental death, which is sad because many falls are preventable.

Besides the risk of death or catastrophic injury, there is also a chance to significant life changes from the accident. A person who suffers an injury in a fall might be afraid of falling again, so they begin to limit activities that might cause one. This can dramatically limit what they will do, which can prevent them from being active. Inactivity can worsen bone weakness.

On top of osteoporosis, older people are more at risk of falling because of some of the medications they take. People who are on diuretics, heart medications, blood pressure drugs and muscle relaxers have an increased chance of falling. Some chronic conditions, such as those that limit mobility or alertness, can also increase the risk.

Because a severe fall is likely going to result in costly medical care, the victim might choose to seek compensation from the party whose negligence lead to the accident. This can help them to reduce their financial impact if the claim is successful.