fall injuries

Safe Seniors: Focus on Preventing Falls

September 12, 2022 | Associates and Bruce L. Scheiner

Palm Beach County has launched a program to assist older adults with improving strength and balance in an effort to reduce their risks of fall injuries.

Unintentional falls are the leading cause of deadly injuries among Florida senior citizens. In fact, for many South Florida EMS departments, falls are the most common emergency calls for help. Because Florida is home to a large number of tourists, winter residents, and relocated retirees, many of the calls for help come from concerned out-of-state relatives who cannot reach their elderly loved ones.

Data from the Area Agency on Aging illustrates the yearly toll of fall injuries in Palm Beach County: nearly 250 deaths, 5,000 hospitalizations, and over 14,000 emergency room visits. That equates to nearly 40 emergency room visits every day from falls in Palm Beach County alone.

Fall Injuries a Risk While Safer-at-Home

April 8, 2020 | Associates and Bruce L. Scheiner

Are you battling clutter?

A month into the COVID-19 pandemic, with many parents working from home and kids out of school, families are struggling with living under one roof, let alone keeping a nice orderly space. The businesses that are open -particularly grocery stores and big-box chains – are likewise struggling to restock and maintain safe and orderly operations.

While a cluttered house can leave many of us unsettled, at a time when we are already struggle to keep a positive mental outlook, the risk of serious fall injuries is an ever-present silent risk. While anyone can be seriously or even fatally injured by a common fall, our injury lawyers in Fort Myers and Cape Coral know it is our older residents who are most at risk of falling and sustaining life-altering injuries.

Fall Injury Prevention Week Highlights Risks for Older Adults

September 30, 2019 | Associates and Bruce L. Scheiner

National Fall Prevention Week is a critical reminder of the risk of serious or fatal injuries resulting from falls, particularly when it comes to older adults here in Southwest Florida.

The National Safety Council is promoting fall accident prevention from Sept. 23-29, noting that every 20 minutes an older adult is killed in a fall in the United States. While younger fall victims are more easily able to escape serious injury, older adults are much more prone to suffering serious, permanent disability, as well as loss of independence and mobility after a fall accident.

Injury lawyers in Fort Myers and Cape Coral know many of these falls are preventable. Those who think fall injuries too often result in frivolous lawsuits have never suffered a serious fall. The fact is, fall injuries can be devastating. Not only do they account for the leading cause of death among older Americans, they account for one-third of all non-fatal injuries reported in the United States.

Fall Injuries a Serious Issue in SWFL

March 1, 2019 | Associates and Bruce L. Scheiner

Fall injuries are a serious concern. Only those who have never dealt with the consequences of a serious fall think of a”slip and fall” lawsuit as someone who is just trying to make a buck.

As the New York Times reported this week: Falls can kill you.

Southwest Florida’s aging population, and wet tropical climate are just two factors that make the region particular susceptible to fall injuries. Our injury lawyers want fall victims to know they have certain rights, although these cases can be complex and consultation with an experienced law firm is best done as soon as possible after an accident.

It’s no longer enough to prove injury occurred by falling on a substance or hazard while at a business. Florida’s tourism industry and business-friendly environment helped lawmakers push through an amendment that now requires a business to have had actual or constructive knowledge of a hazard and to have failed to correct it. Constructive knowledge generally means a hazard existed for a length of time sufficient enough to have been discovered.