We All Fall Down

'We All Fall Down' far too many times in our lives. We accept too many falls that should have been avoided in the first place. Our lack of observation skills, carelessness, and unwillingness to take risk seriously only make matters worse. We endure pain and suffering, regret and guilt, anxious hours in hospital waiting rooms, and lose time at work and leisure as we spend time in jury trials carrying out our civic duty assigning blame and financial compensation. All pay the price for falls in the form of higher medical costs, insurance rates, and expensive attorney fees and lawsuits. Americans are often surprised to learn that falls are the third leading cause of accidental death and that more than half of all fatal falls occur in private residences. Falls result in more than 36,000 deaths every year. More than 2.8 million people are treated in emergency rooms and over 800,000 are hospitalized because of fall injuries annually. Each year over $50 billion is spent on medical costs due to falls, with the average hospitalization for a fall injury exceeding $30,000. The information in this book can help you to; 1) prevent falling, 2) minimize falling injuries when you do fall, and 3) sensitize you to falling dangers in the built environment. It can help you to plan, design, construct, and maintain buildings and sites that are safer for everyone. It can also help you think through if there was a hazard present when you fell, if property owners were negligent for having the hazard, and if you should seek legal help to try to obtain financial compensation.