In the seconds after you lose your footing, your brain starts to panic. You know you’re going to hit the ground, and all you can do is brace for impact and hope for the best....right?
Which Way Should I Fall to Avoid Injury?
The odds of preventing injury in a fall depend on millions of factors, including your health, age, weight, and circumstances of the fall itself. While you may not be able to prevent yourself from hitting the ground, there are a few ways to lessen the impact and redirect the force to the strongest parts of your body.
If you realize that you are falling, try to:
- Grab something. This simple act is very effective in preventing fall injuries—in fact, it’s one of the human body’s natural responses when falling. A fall from a height is more likely to be survivable if the victim is able to grab onto an object or hit softer objects on the way down as a way absorb some of the impact.
- Go limp. Many injuries are caused when victims tense their muscles to brace for impact. Keep your body as loose as possible, and bend your arms and knees to further displace the force of the fall.
- Fall to the side. Head and back injuries commonly occur after backward falls, while face and arm injuries are common when falling forward. Statistically, it is best to fall on one side of your body. If you can, curl into a ball before falling to the side to protect your head.
- Duck and roll. If you cannot prevent yourself from falling forward, duck your head and roll. Rolling spreads the force of the impact across the floor, rather than directly into it.
- Get up slowly. After your fall has occurred, do not try to get up. First, try to move your fingers and toes, then your wrists and arms, then your legs, making sure to keep your head still. If you feel any pain, lie still and wait for help. If nobody is nearby, stay on the ground and carefully reach for your phone to call for help. If you have no choice but to stand up, do so very slowly and avoid driving until you have been seen by a doctor.
If you suffered a fall on someone else’s property, we can help you recover compensation for your medical bills and lost income. At Steinberg Injury Lawyers, we provide honest legal advice for slip-and-fall victims, and we do not charge our clients anything until their case has been resolved. Contact us today or order our free guide, 7 BIGGEST MISTAKES That Can Ruin Your California Injury Case, to start building your case.
|
Related Links: |
