According to The Cost of Injury in Canada (2015), injuries have posed a $8.8 billion dollar cost to the province. The data displayed here outlines unintentional injuries which have been deemed as being preventable, as per the Ontario Injury Prevention Resource Center and the review of their report’s results for the 2014 and 2016 fiscal year. Knowing the numbers and types of injuries presented in Ontario allows one to understand how to properly avoid accidents and support injuries that are a result of negligence or scenarios that are out of one’s control. If you or someone you know has been involved in an accident where another party is liable for the injury incurred, or if you have received a denied disability claim or medical claim from your group insurance, we urge you contact a disability claim lawyer as soon as possible. Having the proper legal insight and support during this time is pivotal to getting you access to the medical benefits you deserve, and to allow you to focus on managing your injury with a sound mind.
Key Findings
Emergency Room (ER) Visits
Urgent care is sought immediately after a major accident or injury has occurred. An individual may arrive at the ER on their own accord, through transportation provided by their workplace (if a workplace injury has occurred), or via an ambulance or other form of emergency service (EMS).
As per the Ontario Injury Data Report:
- Falls account for the highest number of ER visits
- Individuals age 24-34 years of age are the most common age group to visit the ER
Other leading cause for injuries seen in the ER include:
– Injury due to inanimate objects (such as falling debris from a building, a bottle, etc.)
– Sports / Recreation (Winter sports, diving and jumping into water, being struck by sport equipment, and over exertion)
– On-Road (Car accident, Motorcycle accident, Bike accident and Heavy Transport Vehicle accident)
– Off-Road (Rail accident, ATV accident, Water and Boating accident, as well as Airplane accident)
Falls were the single highest contributer of ER visits across all age groups in Ontario. Seniors who are 80 years of age or older visit the ER most often for fall-related injuries. The frailty of their bones and overall body due to age can lead to major injuries after a fall, and the outcome of a fall are far more catastrophic for this age group. Middle aged adults and children from 0-4 years and 10-14 years also were noted as prone demographics for injuries after a slip and/or fall.
Unfortunately, most slips and falls can be avoided. It is important that individuals practice proper caution depending on the lifestyles they have. For instance, if elderly, you should have the proper safety railings for getting in and out of the bathtub, or moving from a chair. Children should be aware of the dangers found on a playground or other play equipment.
Hospitalizations
Someone is hospitalized when they are in need of 24/hr medical care with access to a facilities full range of services and specialist attention. In line with the statistics for emergency room visits, falls accounted for a huge number of hospitalizations during the years 2014 and 2016.
| Cause of Injury | Hospitalization |
|---|---|
| Falls | 85,873 |
| Self-Harm | 9, 827 |
| Collisions with Inanimate Object | 9,466 |
| Suffocation | 7,820 |
| On-Road | 7,393 |
According to this chart, you can see how profound the number of falls in Ontario are, compared to other top contenders for hospitalization. We also can note that self-harm, which is often due to a mental disorder and mental health crisis, is the second leading reason for hospitalization. These two numbers put an emphasis on the need for fall prevention, and mental health care and support throughout the province.
Other data show that seniors contributed to most hospitalizations, due to falls.
Deaths
Death resulting from injury is one of the hardest realities a family and an individual can face; especially when its a case of wrongful death. According to the Ontario Injury Data Report, falls accounted for the most injury related deaths for all age groups in Ontario. Seniors over 80 years of age contributed to the most deaths, due to falls. For adults 35-54, self-harm was the leading cause of injury-related deaths.
Knowing these age groups sheds light on the type of support and training medical facilities and practitioners need to pay attention to. Having proper fall awareness and mental health awareness can save lives- period.
Top Cause of Injury: Falls
As outlined in the data presented above, falls which can occur from all sorts of scenarios, account for the most injuries, hospitalizations and deaths throughout Ontario, for all age groups. It is important the indicate the key areas where these injuries occur in order to work on injury prevention.
Falls can happen due to a wide range of specific causes. The most common falls indicated in the report include those that occurred:
- On the same level from slipping, tripping and stumbling
- Due to ice and snow
- Involving playground equipment
- From/on stairs and steps
- Involving the bed
- Involving a chair
- From a tree
- From, out of or through a building or structure
- Involving ice skates, skis, roller-skates or skateboards
- While being carried or supported by other persons
- Involving a wheelchair
- On and from a ladder
- On and from scaffolding
- From a cliff
- Diving or jumping into water causing injury other than drowning/submersion
- From one level to another
- From same level
- Unspecified
Injuries often incurred as a result of a fall include:
- Head injury
- Neck injury
- Thorax injury
- Abdominal injury
- Lower-back injury
- Spinal injury
- Pelvis Injury
- Shoulder and upper arm injury
- Elbow and forearm injury
- Wrist injury
- Hand injury
- Hip injury
- Thigh injury
- Knee injury
- Ankle and foot injury
Disability Claims: Contacting a Toronto Disability Lawyer
Disability claims are filed for hundreds of thousands of injuries across the country. There are many insurance companies out there offering benefit and cost coverage for those who suddenly find themselves dealing with a sudden accident and injury. Unfortunately, many of these claims are denied because it is ultimately the insurance companies interest to save their money, versus shelling out the sums that are owed rightfully to individuals in need. No one should face a denied long-term disability or short-term disability when managing an injury. Recovering from any of the injuries outlined in this article? These are all valid scenarios where insurance companies have to comply to the law and provide the proper support one is seeking through their disability claim.
If you have been denied disability benefits, or have received a denied insurance claim for something such as a medical aid or device, contact a disability claims lawyer as soon as possible. Avoid taking part in an appeal process or dealing with any further added stress caused by a denied claim; by speaking to a disability claims attorney who specializes in insurance law and personal-injury law, it is your best bet to successfully getting the support you need.
TSF Law offers free consultations to anyone across Ontario; our legal team is able to speak with you over the phone, via video chat, or in person. If transportation is an issue for you, we will come to you; no valid case is left unmanaged and TSF Law offers the best customer service in our field. Contact us today; TSF Law is always there for you.
