Slip and Fall Accident Statistics
The following data is from a study by the National Floor Safety Institute
(NFSI) on the causes of slip and fall injuries.
The Slip and Fall Problem

Research, based in part on insurance industry claims data, has revealed five
major causes responsible for almost all slips, trips and falls. Although the
actual percentages may vary from one industry to another, the following five
causes have been well documented across different industry groups, environmental
conditions, and geographies.
Although the walking surface is most likely to be identified as the primary
cause of a slip, trip, and fall accident, comprising 55% of all falls, the
remaining 45% are attributable to four other factors, including footwear, fraud,
hazard identification, and training.
Therefore, a property owner’s or manager’s slip
and fall prevention strategy should focus on a comprehensive approach that
addresses all causes especially their floors.
Although these numbers indicate that footwear choice contributes to a
moderate portion of slip and fall injuries, it’s important to recognize that
this does not necessarily vitiate liability from property owners. There are some
cases where proprietors have been made aware, or should have been made aware of
hazards that become more dangerous when people are walking around with certain
types of shoes. For example, a high profile 5-star restaurant should reasonably
expect women to sometimes wear heels to their establishment, and therefore,
reasonably protect against any impairments or obstacles that could lead to harm.
Slip and Fall Accident Statistics
- Falls account for over 8 million hospital emergency room visits,
representing the leading cause of visits (21.3%). Slips and falls account
for over 1 million visits, or 12% of total falls.
- Slips and falls are the leading cause of workers’ compensation claims
and are the leading cause of occupational injury for people aged 15-24
years.
- According to the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), floors and
flooring materials contribute directly to more than 2 million fall injuries
each year.
- Half of all accidental deaths in the home are caused by a fall. Most
fall injuries in the home happen at ground level, not from an elevation.
- For people aged 65-84 years, falls are the second leading cause of
injury-related death; for those aged 85 years or older, falls are the
leading cause of injury-related death.
- Of all deaths associated with falls, 60% involve people aged 75 years or
older.
- Falls account for 87% of all fractures among people over the age of 65
and are the second leading cause of spinal cord and brain injury.
- Half of all elderly adults (over the age of 65) hospitalized for hip
fractures cannot return home or live independently after the fracture.
- Over 60% of nursing homes residents will fall each year.
- According to The National Institute on Aging, every year 30% of people
over the age of 65 will sustain a fall, of which 10% will result in a
serious injury.
- 85% of worker’s compensation claims are attributed to employees slipping
on slick floors (Industrial Safety & Occupational Health Markets 5th
edition)
- 22% of slip/fall incidents resulted in more than 31 days away from work
(US Bureau of Labor Statistics (2002).
- Compensation & medical costs associated with employee slip/fall
accidents is approximately $70 billion annually (National Safety Council
Injury Facts 2003 edition).
- Total injuries due to falls estimated at $13-14 million per year in U.S.
Falls are the number one cause of accidental injury, resulting in 20.8
percent of all emergency room visits in 1995. (Motor vehicle accidents
accounted for 11.9 percent of ER visits.)
- Disabling (temporary and permanent) occupational injuries due to falls
are approximately $250,000-$300,000 per year.
- According to Workers Compensation statistics from ITT-Hartford Insurance
Company, falls account for 16% of all claims and 26% of all costs. This
compares to 33% of costs associated with sprains and strains.
- According to the American Trucking Association, slips and falls are the
leading cause of compensable injury in the trucking industry.
- Falls from elevation (approximately 40% of compensable fall cases,
approximately 10% of occupational fatalities).
- Falls on the same level (approximately 60% of compensable fall cases).
(W. Monroe Keyserling, Ph.D. 2000)