Each injury that a person receives is traceable to the direction from which the impact load was applied. ARCCA’s experts can study the injuries sustained to determine if there was a slip trip or a fall, and our biomechanical experts can then conclude what event related to that injury.
Many slips and falls can be prevented if the potential hazard is perceived and recognized so that appropriate and adequate anticipatory gait adjustments can be made. Human factors include lighting, travel path, object characteristics (e.g., size, color, texture, reflectance) and if the person had previously encountered the object. In one case, an adult male was walking in a department store when he tripped over a display stand. After inspecting the premises and display stand, the ARCCA expert determined it was reasonable for the store to expect him to see the stand and avoid it. The expert took into account the distance traveled and factors that would affect the person’s ability to perceive the obstacle, given the changes in vision and mobility that can occur with age. However, it was determined that the lighting and physical characteristics of the display stand made it noticeable and avoidable.
The graphics you see here were developed by the visuals team to support a biomechanical expert’s testimony regarding the types of forces and resulting injuries one would expect to see in a forward, “trip’ type of fall.
