Seniors with Personal Injury

Published on: February 10, 2025

Slip and Fall Accident – Related Brain Injury Statistics

Older males have a three times higher risk of suffering a traumatic brain injury, mainly in slip and fall accidents. That information comes from an analysis of 2021 brain injury data which also found that certain racial demographics also have higher rates of brain injury.

The analysis was based on data from the National Vital Statistics System which found that there were approximately 69,473 deaths due to brain injury in 2021. Men bore the overwhelming brunt of these personal injuries with a majority of persons who suffered fatal brain injuries being adult males above the age of 75. Men are as much as three times more likely to suffer a fatal traumatic brain injury compared to women. That makes a lot of sense when you consider that slip and fall accidents are one of the top causes of brain injury in the United States.

The analysis also found that demographic groups like American Indians or Native Alaskans have a much higher risk of suffering traumatic brain injury compared to other racial groups, with the two most common causes being suicides and slip and fall accidents More than 37,000 traumatic brain injury-related wrongful deaths in the analysis were the result of slip and fall accidents, auto accidents, being hit on the head by an object and other such traumatic incidents.

Published on: September 17, 2024

Alcohol Could Increase Risks of Brain Bleed after Slip and Fall Accident

by Robert N. Katz, Esq.

Senior citizens who drink alcohol have a much higher risk of experiencing brain bleeds after suffering a slip and fall. Increasing awareness among Senior Citizens is the key to preventing these slip and falls which often cause serious personal injuries.

According to a new study, even seniors who drink moderately may be at a much higher risk of suffering a brain bleed if they have been involved in a slip and fall accident. Slip and fall accidents are some of the most devastating adverse events that seniors can experience. These accidents can result in the kind of personal injuries that not just permanently injure or disable the senior, but also reduce his life span significantly. Slip and fall accidents, for instance, can result in hip fractures which some studies have linked to an increased risk of fatality in the year following the personal injury.

According to the researchers, their studies find a strong correlation between regular drinking and intracranial hemorrhage after a slip and fall accident. The risk of suffering a brain bleed after a fall doubled in the case of seniors who drank weekly. In the case of seniors who drank daily, the risks of suffering a brain bleed increased by 2.5 times.

Published on: July 18, 2024

Fall Accidents Major Cause of Brain Injury in Seniors

by Robert N. Katz, Esq.

As many as one in eight seniors will suffer a traumatic brain injury, mainly as a result of a fall accident.

Researchers arrived at those findings recently through an analysis of Medicare data of more than 9,200 patients covering a period of 18 years. They found that during this time, 13% of seniors above the age of 65 suffered a brain injury that resulted in a concussion. Most of these personal injuries occurred during fall accidents.

The researchers are calling the findings of the study “shocking” and say that far too many seniors are living with traumatic brain injuries that expose them to the risk of several health complications. Brain injuries in seniors may cause other complications including dementia and Parkinson’s disease. They can also increase the risk of depression and anxiety in patients who are already at a high risk of such struggles.

Published on: June 20, 2024

Older Pedestrians More Likely to be Injured in Falls Than Auto Accidents

by Robert N. Katz, Esq.

While pedestrians overall are more likely to be injured in auto accidents, older pedestrians above the age of 50 are more likely to suffer serious personal injuries when they are involved in slip and fall accidents, compared to auto accidents.

There has been much focus recently on personal injuries involving pedestrians in car accidents. The increase in pedestrian accidents is being blamed for an overall spike in the number of people being personally injured in auto accidents across the country. Researchers at the Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health analyzed data involving pedestrians who had suffered personal injuries in slip and fall accidents, and compared the data with the numbers involving pedestrians involved in auto accidents.

The Columbia University study found that while the risk to pedestrians involved in auto accidents remains high, the overall public burden is greater when older pedestrians are injured in slip and falls in comparison. The study found that 32 percent of pedestrian personal injuries in auto accidents were defined as “emergency” or “critical”. In comparison, 19% of persons who suffered slip and falls had personal injuries that were defined as “emergency” or “critical.” However, pedestrians above the age of 50 in fall accidents were 3.9 times more likely to suffer “emergent” or “critical” injuries, compared to ones who had been involved in auto accidents. In fact, the Columbia University study described as alarming the number of older pedestrians who suffered serious personal injuries after fall accidents and needed emergency care.

Published on: June 17, 2024

Mild Cognitive Declines May Push Seniors to Give Up Driving

by Robert N. Katz, Esq.

Older people who suffer mild mental declines are likely to make the decision to give up driving in order to eliminate their risks of being involved in auto accidents.

Concerns about senior drivers have increased over the past decade with the increase in the number of motorists above the age of 65 driving on our streets. With life expectancies at all time highs, it is natural that we see many senior drivers on our roads. Driving is key to senior physical and mental health. However, seniors may suffer from several age- related declines and impairments that reduce their ability to drive safely and increase their risks of being involved in a car accident. Vision may begin to fail and hearing may become less sharp as the years go by. Even more disturbing are the mental or cognitive declines that seniors may face as they get older.

A new study finds that most seniors who begin to suffer mental declines like forgetfulness make the decision to give up driving on their own. As part of the study, the researchers tracked 213 seniors above the age of 72. None of the seniors suffered from symptoms of mental decline at the beginning of the study, but as the years progressed, some of them began to suffer from deficiencies including impairment in memory, judgment and reasoning.

Published on: February 16, 2024

Migraines Increase Car Accident Risks for Older Drivers

by Robert N. Katz, Esq.

Older drivers may be at a high risk of being involved in car accidents, and those risks are simply exacerbated if they also suffer from migraines.

Migraines are a common condition, especially among older people, but they may be dangerous for senior drivers. According to the results of a new study, older drivers who suffer from migraines are as much as three times more likely to be involved in a car accident. The results of the study were published recently in the Journal of the American Geriatric Society. According to the researchers, migraines are already a common concern among older drivers with as many as 7% of senior drivers already diagnosed with migraines. The researchers believe that many migraines are undiagnosed which means we probably have an increasing population of older drivers on our roads who have their driving abilities impacted by their severe headaches and remain unaware of this. The researchers found a threefold increase in car accident risks for senior drivers in the 12 months after a diagnosis. Medications taken to control migraines do not seem to have any impact on car accident risks.

The researchers recommend that senior drivers who have recently been diagnosed with migraines discuss the effects of the condition on their driving abilities with their doctor. Be especially careful about the kind of medications that you take to control the pain while you drive. Also understand the dangers of introducing alcohol to the mix when you are already on medications to treat your migraines. Senior drivers already face a number of safety risks when driving and these could simply be compounded by their migraines.

Published on: January 8, 2024

Many Seniors Receive No Follow Up Care After Slip and Fall Accident

by Robert N. Katz, Esq.

Follow up care is not just important, but also critical after a senior suffers injuries in a slip and fall accident, and yet, new studies find that far too many seniors receive no such after – fall care, resulting in serious consequences.

The new studies find that as many as 59% of seniors receive no follow – up care after they have suffered personal injuries in a slip and fall accident. This is in spite of the fact that it is well- established that follow up – care after a fall can help seniors not just recover quickly, but also learn how to avoid falls in the future. It is also in spite of the fact that slip and fall accidents are a serious health concern for American seniors. For example, one in four seniors above the age of 65 is expected to suffer a slip and fall accident, sending 8 million persons to hospital emergency rooms. Even more worrying is the fact that 27,000 seniors suffer fatal personal injuries in slip and fall accidents, while these accidents also contribute to 800,000 personal injuries every year. In spite of all these facts, many seniors do not return to the emergency room for follow – up visits after suffering head trauma in a fall.

The researchers focused on a group of 1,500 seniors who had suffered injuries in slip and fall accidents, and found that many of them had not returned to their primary care physician for a follow up in the weeks after the slip and fall accident. When seniors did visit a doctor for a follow-up, they were recommended physical therapy as a way to avoid future falls. Physical therapy can help improve balance, gait, coordination and address other physical aspects of aging that can increase a senior’s risk of suffering a slip and fall accident.

Published on: December 21, 2023

Vision Loss is a Major Car Accident Risk Factor for Seniors

by Robert N. Katz, Esq.

Declining vision is a much more serious car accident risk factor for senior drivers than we may believe. According to the results of a new study, it is linked to an 84% higher risk of being involved in car accidents.

Seniors may suffer from a number of health challenges as they get older that increase their risks of being involved in an auto accident, and one of the most significant of those challenges is declining vision. Being unable to see clearly or the lack of a wide range of vision that allows the driver to see not just ahead but also identify auto accident risks from the sides, can significantly impact the person’s risk of being involved in a dangerous car accident. It is for this reason that most states, including Georgia, have laws in place that require senior drivers to get their eyesight tested at regular intervals as a condition for license renewal.

At a recent conference of the American Academy of Ophthalmology, researchers presented the results of a study which found that the current eye testing system that is currently followed in so many states may not be the ideal way to determine senior health and the capacity of older motorists to avoid car accidents.

Published on: September 25, 2023

Increase in Fatal Slip and Fall Accidents Among Seniors

by Robert N. Katz, Esq.

American seniors are suffering slip and fall injuries at much higher rates than just a couple of decades ago. According to a new study, there has been a two – fold increase in the rate of fatal slip and fall accidents involving seniors since 1999.

The study focused on seniors above the age of 65, and found that fatal slip and fall accident rates have risen for both males and females and across all racial groups. The study found that in 1999, there had been 10,100 deaths from slip and fall accidents involving seniors, and in 2020, that number had increased to 36,500. The rate of slip and fall – related deaths involving this very vulnerable age category increased from 29 for every 100,000 persons in 1999 to 69 for every 100,000 persons in 2020.

White males recorded the highest increase with approximately 78 deaths for every 100,000 persons in the year 2020. Death rates also increased for other categories, including Hispanics and African American seniors. Obviously, these results are concerning, and even more so because they do not seem to be talked about enough. Senior slip and fall risks are not much of a priority for health authorities, and the results are clear to see.

Published on: July 8, 2023

Nursing Home Abuse Prevention Checklist for Families

by Robert N. Katz, Esq.

This June, elder advocate organizations around the country are calling for a focus on the rights of seniors, and the prevention of abuse and neglect involving elderly persons, millions of who live in nursing homes.

On June 15, elder organizations across the world including the World Health Organization at the United Nations will mark World Elder Abuse Awareness Day to raise awareness about the risks of abuse, exploitation and neglect involving seniors. Events and commemorations are being planned for the special day across the world, including the United States where more than 50 million people above the age of 65 currently live. Out of these, close to 1.5 million people live in nursing homes, and a million more live in assisted living facilities.

For families, the decision to place a loved one in a nursing facility or an assisted living facility is never an easy one. It is, unfortunately, the only option available for many people who often find themselves worried and anxious about the safety and care of their loved ones in these facilities. The fact that so many nursing homes in the United States have questionable standards of care at best is definitely a concern for families looking for a facility.