can you trip and fall backwards

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Musculoskeletal System Health

How to Fall Safely

Last Updated: March 17, 2024 Approved

This article was co-authored by Justin Barnes . Justin Barnes is a Senior Home Care Specialist and the Co-Owner of Presidio Home Care, a family-owned and operated Home Care Organization based in the Los Angeles, California metro area. Presidio Home Care, which provides non-medical supportive services, was the first agency in the state of California to become a licensed Home Care Organization. Justin has over 10 years of experience in the Home Care field. He has a BS in Technology and Operations Management from the California State Polytechnic University - Pomona. wikiHow marks an article as reader-approved once it receives enough positive feedback. This article received 15 testimonials and 88% of readers who voted found it helpful, earning it our reader-approved status. This article has been viewed 498,636 times.

Falling can pose a serious risk of injury, even if it is only from a standing height. Depending on your age, health and fitness levels, the severity of those injuries can vary. However, there are a few techniques that anyone can use if they find themselves falling to help reduce the impact and prevent injury.

Falling Properly

Tuck your your chin down, lowering your head.
If falling down, face first, turn your head to the side.
Bring your arms up to head level for additional protection. Put them in front of your head if falling forwards or behind your head if falling backwards.
If you are taking anticoagulants or blood thinners and fall and hit your head, this may result in a dangerous and life-threatening bleed inside your skull. Call your doctor, who may tell you to go to the hospital for a CT scan.

Landing fully on your arms in an attempt to catch yourself can break both your wrists and arms.

You can try breathing out as you fall to help keep your body relaxed.

Start in a low squat position.
Lean forward and place your palms flat on the ground in front of you.
Push off the ground with your legs and move your weight forwards.
Your legs will go over your head.
Keep your back rounded and gently try to land on a shoulder.
Let the momentum carry you through the roll and back up onto your feet.

Step 6 Spread out the force of the fall.

Preventing Falls

Most footwear of this type will be labeled as “slip-resistant.”

Be careful walking or running in any areas where the ground may be uneven.
Pay attention when taking the stairs and always use the hand rail.

Always check to make sure any ladder or step stool is secure and is in good working order.
Never ride on a vehicle unsafely. Always enter or mount a vehicle slowly and carefully.

Always close drawers after you are done with them.
Don't leave cords or wires in walkways.
Keep the area well lit.
Walk slowly over slippery or dangerous areas, taking small controlled steps.
Consider relocating if you live somewhere with steep stairs and falling is a concern. Otherwise, make sure you have handrails or a banister.
Remove small throw rugs or use double-sided tape to make sure they don't flip up or slip.

Step 5 Improve your strength and balance with exercise.

Expert Q&A

Always protect your head first. Thanks Helpful 7 Not Helpful 0
When falling from high places, a regular forward roll is dangerous - you could break your spine or collarbone or hit your head. Instead, try doing a shoulder roll , where you roll across your spine instead of directly along it. Thanks Helpful 9 Not Helpful 1
Try practicing how to fall in a safe environment, such as a gym with floor mats and pads. Thanks Helpful 7 Not Helpful 2

↑ Justin Barnes. Senior Home Care Specialist. Expert Interview. 6 March 2020.
↑ http://nasdonline.org/document/208/d000006/preventing-injuries-from-slips-trips-and-falls.html
↑ http://breakingmuscle.com/parkour/how-do-you-roll-gymnastics-vs-parkour

About This Article

Medical Disclaimer

The content of this article is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, examination, diagnosis, or treatment. You should always contact your doctor or other qualified healthcare professional before starting, changing, or stopping any kind of health treatment.

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10 Symptoms to Look for After a Fall

January 4, 2022
personal injury

Falling can completely derail your day and, in some cases, your life. Whether you slip on wet flooring as you try to navigate your way around a store or suffer a fall because of faulty stairs, serious injuries can occur in the most mundane places. Sometimes, you may immediately recognize that you have sustained serious injuries. However, in many cases, you may not realize the extent of the damage.

How do you know that you need medical treatment following a fall? When should you treat it as a serious accident, and when can you brush yourself off and move on?

For the most part, if you suffer a fall at all, you should always report it to the facility where the fall occurred so that you can create a record of the accident. Even if you think you did not suffer serious injuries when you get up after the accident, you may later discover that you sustained more significant injuries than you thought.

If you show these signs of potential injury from a slip or fall , you should seek medical treatment immediately:

1. You have ongoing pain.

Any time you hit the ground unexpectedly, you may experience an immediate flare of pain. Sometimes, that pain may remain minor. Other times, you may find yourself dealing with much more severe pain. If the pain does not resolve quickly, or if pain shows up after the adrenaline from the accident wears off, you should pursue medical attention. You could have broken bones , a sprain or strain, or a muscular injury.

Back pain can occur after even a minor fall, especially if you already have underlying conditions. However, if you experience increased back or neck pain, seek medical attention and a full evaluation to ensure you have not suffered more serious injury than you think.

2. You experience sudden, sharp pain.

Broken bones and other serious injuries often involve sudden, sharp pain. You may notice that even light pressure or movement of an affected limb or body part causes pain. If you notice sharp signs of pain, you should always seek medical attention immediately.

In the case of broken bones, you may notice other signs of injury: a limb that seems out of shape, for example, or bone piercing or pressing against the skin. However, not all broken bones include visible symptoms, especially if you have cracked a bone. Furthermore, broken bones like hips may not seem evident outwardly but may still cause substantial pain.3. You have obvious swelling anywhere on your body.

Swelling often indicates injury, and you should pay close attention to any signs of swelling or disfigurement. Sometimes, swelling could indicate a broken bone. Other times, it could indicate a serious sprain or strain. You may not notice swelling when you first get up off the ground after a fall, but you may see that swelling increase throughout the day, often becoming increasingly painful. You may also notice swelling when you first wake up the following day.

4. You have signs of a head injury.

If you hit your head during a fall, you should always seek medical attention promptly. While some signs of a head injury may make themselves evident immediately, in cases of minor brain injury, you may not immediately show signs that someone else can identify.

Signs of brain injury can vary depending on the extent of the injury.

#1. Blurred vision, tunnel vision, or other visual changes

Frequently, head injuries result in vision changes. Some victims notice blurred vision, while others have tunnel vision. If you have any visual changes after hitting your head in a fall, you should immediately seek medical attention, even if those symptoms seem to resolve. A medical professional can let you know if you have sustained severe injuries.

#2. Ringing in your ears

In addition to causing visual changes, head injuries may disrupt your hearing. You may notice your ears ringing or find it more difficult than usual to hear. If you have ongoing changes to your hearing, just like in the case of disturbed vision, you should let a medical professional evaluate you.

#3. Headache

Head injuries do not necessarily always cause headaches. The brain itself does not have pain receptors, which means that you may not notice symptoms of brain injury as pain. However, some types of head trauma can cause a headache, including an ongoing headache. You may also feel pressure in your head, resulting from brain swelling.

#4. Dizziness, vertigo, or loss of balance

If you suffer from dizziness or vertigo after hitting your head in a fall, it could indicate that you sustained a severe head injury. Ongoing dizziness and vertigo should receive prompt medical attention.

#5. Confusion or disorientation

If you feel disoriented, confused, or catch yourself forgetting things you would normally remember, it could indicate that you sustained head trauma in your fall. See a doctor to discuss any cognitive symptoms so that you can receive a full medical evaluation as soon as possible.

5. You have new back pain.

An estimated 8 percent of adults suffer from chronic back pain. If you do not notice changes in your usual pain following your fall, you may not need to receive a new medical evaluation, though you may want your doctor to look into your injuries.

On the other hand, if you suffer from an increase in back pain, or you did not suffer from back pain in the past, but you do after the accident, you should pursue medical attention as soon as possible. Back pain could indicate an injury ranging from whiplash or muscle strain to a herniated disc. A doctor can identify the cause of your back pain and provide you with strategies that can help you minimize further pain and injury.

6. You suffer any severe laceration.

Depending on why your fall occurred and the scene of the accident, you may come into contact with various sharp objects that could lead to lacerations. Serious lacerations may require immediate medical attention to stop the flow of blood. Have a doctor evaluate serious lacerations to reduce the risk of infection. In some cases, you may need a tetanus shot or other treatment. Furthermore, prompt medical treatment can help reduce scarring.

7. You suffer from stomach pain after your accident.

Stomach pain may feel unconnected to a fall, especially if you landed on another part of the body. However, stomach pain could indicate internal damage, including serious internal bleeding.

Furthermore, stomach pain could include referred pain from elsewhere in the body. If you find yourself suffering from stomach pain after a fall, do not attempt to wait it out. Instead, seek immediate medical attention. Tell the doctor about the source of your pain and the fall.

8. Your accident led to substantial bruising.

Sometimes, you may walk away from a fall, feeling that you likely did not suffer serious injury, but discover later that you have substantial bruising. In some cases, bruising can just indicate a high level of trauma, including a few broken blood vessels.

However, bruising could also indicate other, more severe injuries, including sprains and strains or internal bleeding. While mild bruising might go unnoticed, if you do have more serious bruising, make sure you have a medical professional evaluate your injuries and rule out any more serious symptoms.

9. You have any limitations in movement.

After a fall, you may expect a little stiffness. However, if soreness restricts your movement, see a medical professional. Stiffness should resolve quickly with stretching and moving around. If you cannot work out that stiffness, get a doctor to evaluate you. Furthermore, if you have stiffness after the accident, it could indicate a more serious injury, and a doctor should look further into it.

You should also see a doctor immediately if you have limitations in movement due to pain, including pain from bruising or an unexpected source. Keep in mind that not all injuries will show themselves immediately, so if you wake up the morning after a fall suffering from serious pain or struggling with movement limitations, you may need to see your doctor.

Some injuries, including broken hips or other broken bones in the legs, spinal injuries, or back injuries may also make it difficult to move immediately after the accident. You may find it difficult to get up at all. If you have pain or notice mobility limitations, you may need to call for an ambulance.

10. You do not feel “right” in any way.

Medical care professionals exist to provide peace of mind when it comes to your medical needs, including caring for your injuries after a fall. If you have suffered any trauma in a fall, and you feel “off” or uncertain, you should have a medical care professional evaluate you as soon as possible. A medical evaluation can provide peace of mind and identify any injuries that you might have missed in your initial assessment, making you feel more confident, overall, about your care moving forward.

When Should You Seek Medical Treatment After a Fall?

Medical treatment can prove critical to your ability to file a personal injury claim after a fall. Not only that, medical treatment helps ensure that you have the care you need to recover as much as possible from your injuries.

When should you seek medical treatment?

If You Notice Symptoms Immediately

If you notice symptoms immediately after your fall, see a medical care provider immediately. Sometimes, in the case of acute injuries, you may need to bring in an ambulance to help you get to the nearest hospital. After minor injuries, you may want to rely on a friend or family member’s transportation to avoid ambulance fees.

Judge your injuries carefully. In some cases, moving could worsen your injuries, extending your recovery time and leading to more severe consequences. If you think you may worsen your injuries by moving, summon an ambulance.

If You Do Not Have Clear Symptoms

Sometimes, you may fall, but not notice immediate symptoms of injury. You may assume that you did not suffer serious injury and get up and go about your day as usual, especially if you already had other things to do. Even if you do not have clear injury symptoms, however, if you have a hard fall, get a professional medical evaluation right away. If you do have serious injuries, you do not want to risk those injuries going untreated.

If You Notice Symptoms Later

You assumed, after your fall , that you had not suffered serious injuries. Later, however, symptoms start to creep in. Now what? If you start to notice symptoms after the fall, even minor ones, get a medical evaluation as soon as you can.

Some injuries, including back injuries and head injuries, may show symptoms long after the initial accident. Seek medical attention as soon as you can to make it easier to prove when your injuries took place. You may also find that seeking medical attention as soon as you notice symptoms can decrease their overall impact and lead to a better recovery.

A Lawyer Can Help After Your Fall

If you suffer a fall accident due to another party’s negligence, you have the right to contact a personal injury lawyer . Whether you notice injury symptoms immediately after a fall or symptoms appear shortly after your accident, contact a slip and fall lawyer as soon as possible. A lawyer can help you learn more about your right to compensation, from whether you have the right to file a personal injury claim to how to maximize your ability to recover the compensation you deserve.

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How to Sue for Trip and Fall Injury

(This may not be the same place you live)

What Is a Trip and Fall Injury?

Trip-and-fall lawsuits are associated with a trip and a subsequent fall to the ground, which differs slightly from a slip and fall, or a step and fall . This will be further discussed below. A trip occurs when the plaintiff is walking, and their toe catches on an object unexpectedly and unreasonably protruding from the ground. A trip may also occur when the ground has an unexpected pit or pothole.

An example of this would be how plaintiffs can trip over an illegal curb-cut made by a property owner, in order to create a driveway. The curb-cut may violate city codes and ordinances by being:

In an unusual place; and/or
Not flush with the adjacent street.

The inevitable result of this is a trip-and-fall incident.

A trip and fall accident happens when a foreign object, such as a broom, is in the walking area. A trip and fall may also happen when there is an uneven walking surface, or a change in a walking surface, such as a sidewalk. These accidents can also occur if there is a lack of sufficient lighting in an area.

Depending on the circumstances of each accident, a lawsuit may result. An example of this would be how if the person responsible for keeping the area clear fails to do so, they may be held liable under a premises liability theory .

As previously mentioned, a trip and fall accident differs slightly from a slip and fall accident. An accident in which a person slips and is injured due to a slippery floor or object is known as a “slip and fall” incident . Some common places for an indoor slip and fall accident to occur are:

Staircases or ramps;
Elevators; and
Floors in places in which liquids or grease may be present, such as a restaurant or grocery store.

Step and fall accidents can cause a variety of injuries, from lesions to twisted ankles or knees from stepping awkwardly on the object. Similarly, a “stump and fall” accident occurs when there is a crack in a walking surface or some sort of object. The individual stumbles over the object or defect prior to falling.

Who Is Responsible for Trip and Fall Injuries?

How can i bring a trip and fall lawsuit, what kind of damages can a trip and fall incur, do i need a lawyer for my trip and fall.

Who can be held responsible for trip and fall injuries depends on where the accident occurred. Municipalities are generally responsible for maintaining sidewalks and streets in a reasonably safe condition.

A pedestrian may trip over rebar, or a metal stake that is protruding dangerously out of the sidewalk. If the rest of the sidewalk is in reasonable condition, the pedestrian will likely believe that there is no protruding rebar to be aware of. As the pedestrian may be reasonable in this belief, and thus does not need to constantly scan the ground for dangers, the municipality may be held liable for resulting trip and fall injuries.

Another example would be how a person who is descending into an underground garage may suddenly trip on an unexpected hazard where:

Lighting is too dim;
The descent is too steep to be considered safe;
An intermediate landing is lacking or missing; and
Handrails are lacking or missing.

Because there are certain safety standards that must be met, the garage’s builder or owner may be held liable for resulting trip and fall injuries.

An example of when store owners may be held liable would be when a rollerblader trips while riding a ramp that is in violation of building codes, or if an employee trips on stairs that are in violation of building codes.

Trip and fall claims are a specific type of personal injury lawsuits, and as such are based on the concept of negligence . This legal theory asserts that the person or organization responsible for the injury was careless, and failed to take the proper actions which would have prevented the injury. The theory of negligence will be further discussed later on.

If a person is injured because of a trip and fall incident, they may be able to sue the property owner. In order to do so, they must show some type of legal relationship with the person who is legally in charge of the property. Additionally, they may be required to prove that the person in charge had a legal duty to protect or warn against dangers. As previously mentioned, other parties may be held liable for the trip and fall incident, such as a municipality.

Property owners are required to provide reasonable care and maintenance of their property, in order to ensure that it is safe from dangerous conditions. What specifically that duty entails may change depending on how another person enters the property. This is referred to as premises liability , as previously discussed.

The laws associated with people entering a property, and how they are categorized, may vary by state. As such, it is important for a property owner to review the local laws in their state in order to determine their role and how to adhere to state laws.

Additionally, a property owner is required to inspect the property, and adequately repair any unsafe conditions or provide a warning for the unsafe condition. Failure to do so could result in the property owner being held liable for injuries resulting from a dangerous condition on their property, even if they were not aware the condition existed.

In order for a person to bring a claim for injuries suffered from slipping or tripping on another’s property, they must prove at least one of the following:

The owner of the premises, or their employee, caused the premises to be unsafe;
The owner of the premises, or their employee, knew of the unsafe condition and failed to take measures to remedy the condition; or
The owner of the premises, or their employee, should have been aware of the unsafe condition on the premises.

A property owner is considered to be negligent if they do not exercise reasonable care in keeping their premises in a safe condition. It is important that the plaintiff demonstrates that they were not careless in failing to avoid the injury. If the plaintiff somehow contributed to their own injury, their damages may be reduced pursuant to contributory negligence laws or other legal restrictions.

An example of this would be if a person observes a dangerous area of a property that is blocked off with a fence and a sign indicating danger. If they enter that area voluntarily, it could affect their damages award if they sustain an injury.

If the property owner is found to be negligent, or breached their duty of care in preventing an accident or injury from occurring on their property, the plaintiff may be awarded damages. These damages generally include:

Pain and suffering;
Future and present medical bills;
Lost income or loss of earning capacity; and/or
Punitive or treble damages.

Punitive damages can be available in some types of personal injury claims. These are damages that are intended to punish offenders, and to discourage them from committing the same type of offense. They are mostly awarded in particularly egregious cases in which the defendant acted intentionally, or in a way that greatly disregarded the plaintiff’s safety. The property owner may also be ordered to repair or fix the dangerous condition that led to the injury.

In order to avoid the court system, the property owner and the injured party may come to a trip and fall settlement. This would be an amount of money exchanged for the forfeiture of the right to sue in court.

There are many benefits to hiring a lawyer for trip and fall lawsuits. As these lawsuits can involve many different parties and legal theories, you should consult with an experienced local slip and fall lawyer .

An attorney will inform you of your legal rights and obligations under your state’s laws regarding your trip and fall case. Finally, an attorney will be able to initiate a lawsuit on your behalf, and will also be able to represent you in court, as needed.

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Travis Peeler

LegalMatch Legal Writer

Original Author

Travis earned his J.D. in 2017 from the University of Houston Law Center and his B.A. with honors from the University of Texas in 2014. Travis has written about numerous legal topics ranging from articles tracking every Supreme Court decision in Texas to the law of virtual reality. In his spare time off from the legal world and quest for knowledge, this 3rd degree black belt and certified instructor aspires to work with various charities geared towards bringing access to entertainment and gaming to all persons. Read More

Jose Rivera

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What to Do Immediately After a Slip and Fall Injury
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Should you Hire an Attorney after your Slip and Fall Injury
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Slip and Falls
Trip and Fall Injury Claims

Differences Between Trip and Fall and Slip and Fall Claims

Matthew Carter, Esq.

Matthew has been a licensed attorney since 2004. He was awarded the Martindale rating of AV – Preeminent. This is given to attorneys ranked at the highest level of professional excellence by their peers.

Here’s how a trip and fall differs from a slip and fall, and what that means for your personal injury case. Protect your legal rights to fair compensation.

Slip and fall accidents and injuries, trip and fall accidents and injuries.

Who Pays Slip or Trip and Fall Claims?

Pursuing Payment for Fall Damages

At first glance, you might think that “slip and fall” and “trip and fall” mean the same thing.

In legal terms, “trip and fall” describes a different type of incident with a different type of injury. The differences can change your legal claim.

Slip and falls are caused by slick surfaces and victims usually fall backward.

Trip and falls are caused by obstacles that trip up a person and make them fall forward or to the side.

As with all personal injury claims, the value of a trip and fall case largely depends on the specific facts of the case.

Slip and fall accidents usually happen when the floor or ground is made slick or slippery. When you put your weight on the slick surface, your feet slide out from under you and you typically fall backward, onto your bottom, hips, or your back.

These kinds of falls can result in serious injuries to your head , neck , back , and various other body parts. Common causes of slips and falls are snowy or icy sidewalks, a wet floor, or some other slippery surface.

Case Example: Icy Parking Lot Causes Slip and Fall Injury

Paul was staying at a big hotel with a private, secured parking lot for guests. It’s the busy holiday season, with parties and business conventions booked every day. However, it was a bad winter with frequent ice and snow storms.

Paul’s company hosted a business conference at the hotel. One evening, Paul was carrying a box of conference materials as he headed to his car. The parking lot was still covered with snow from the night before.

Because of the snow cover, Paul didn’t see the icy patches on the untreated parking lot.

He slipped and fell, slamming the back side of his head and body to the asphalt. A concussion and dislocated shoulder kept Paul out of work for several weeks.

Trip and fall accidents happen when there is some kind of obstruction on the floor or ground. This dangerous condition, known as a “tripping hazard,” can catch someone’s foot or leg while they are walking or running.

The momentum of a trip and fall accident usually results in the victim falling forward and suffering an injury.

Trip and fall accidents tend to injure different parts of the body. Hands, arms, knees, elbows, and the face can all be potential areas for trip and fall injury claims.

Case Example: Jury Awards $3 Million in Trip and Fall Case

Lynda Sadowski was walking through the Jack Casino when she tripped over a flattened Wet Floor sign, falling forward and fracturing her kneecap. Her knee required surgical repair and left her with diminished mobility.

Casino security film showed that another customer had knocked over the sign earlier. Moments before Sadowski’s fall, a casino employee walked around the flattened sign without picking it up.

The casino argued that Sadowski wasn’t watching where she was going. Sadowski’s attorneys argued the casino “failed to use ‘ordinary care’ for Sadowski’s safety and failed to maintain a reasonably safe environment, resulting in the injury.”

The jury agreed with Sadowski, awarding $3 million for her injuries and pain and suffering.

Sadowski vs. Jack Casino

A trip and fall accident can happen anywhere. Perhaps a crowded antique shop’s narrow aisles are strewn with merchandise that present tripping hazards. Or a rubber mat in front of a building entrance bunches up and presents a tripping hazard. Maybe a veterinarian allows unleashed animals in the office that then get tangled under guests’ feet.

Besides having different causes, trip and fall accidents can also cause different kinds of injuries.

FOOSH injuries (Fallen Onto an OutStretched Hand) are common. FOOSH injuries can include broken wrists, broken arms, and ligament tears. People who trip and fall forward can suffer significant facial trauma and head injuries.

Who Pays for Slip or Trip and Fall Claims?

As with slip and fall cases, trip and fall injury claims are usually premises liability claims. This means that the property owner or manager is the main person responsible for the trip and fall injury.

In most cases, the property or business owner should have control and responsibility for any fall hazards on the premises.

Were you hurt while patronizing a business? There is probably at least one commercial general liability insurance policy that can compensate you for damages.

If you suffered your trip and fall injury at someone else’s home, their homeowner’s insurance policy or renter’s insurance should compensate you for your injury.

There may be other parties responsible for your fall accident. For example, if the owner has leased a commercial property to a business, the business owner may also have responsibility for your injury. If your fall was due to the intentional behavior of a third party, they may also be liable in addition to the owner of the premises or business.

Also keep in mind that slip or trip and fall injuries may give rise to product liability cases.

Examples of product liability in fall claims:

If a slip and fall was caused by a pool of melted ice leaking from a defective grocery store freezer, the freezer manufacturer may share responsibility for your injuries.
If a trip and fall was caused by a defective hotel rug, the manufacturer of the rug may also be liable for your injury.

Man pointing to a document on the table during a meeting

After figuring out who should pay for your fall injury, the next question is how to pursue a claim to compensate you for your injury.

Decide if you can handle your own trip and fall claim or if it should be handled by a personal injury attorney.

Create an injury claim document file for organizing your medical bills, medical records, and other evidence of how your injury has affected your life.

You’ll also need evidence of the property owner’s negligence, such as photographs of the accident scene and witness statements from people who saw what happened to you.

If you decide to handle your own claim, put together a demand letter so the insurance adjuster can see your damages and decide whether to offer you a settlement. Keep in mind that insurance companies tend to offer less money to unrepresented claimants in the hope they’ll take a quick settlement and go away.

If you cannot settle with the insurance company, you may need to file a personal injury lawsuit. If you haven’t already consulted an experienced attorney, now is the time to get legal advice. The evidence that you gathered for the insurance company will be useful here.

Most claims settle out of court. However, if your attorney takes your trip and fall case to trial, the jury may award a monetary judgment. For example, if you have a broken wrist FOOSH injury, you could get as much as $80,000-$120,000 from a favorable jury verdict.

Minding Your Step

It’s always important to watch where you’re walking and to be careful. But you can’t be responsible for everything, all the time. When you step onto someone else’s property or patronize their business, they need to make sure that you can safely walk through their parking lot, sidewalks, walkways, and buildings.

Never leave the scene of a trip and fall accident without notifying the property owner or manager. If you’re injured at a business location, ask the manager to fill out an incident report .

Seek prompt medical treatment after a slip or trip and fall injury. Tell the medical prover when, where, and how you were injured. You’ll need proof of the accident date and location, along with evidence of your injuries for a successful claim.

A broken wrist or a broken nose may not be fatal. But these injuries can be painful and expensive. You deserve to be compensated. If you or a loved one has suffered a fall injury caused by someone else’s negligence, contact a personal injury law firm in your state for a free consultation.

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Slip & Fall and Trip & Fall Accidents: Similarities & Differences

Hasner Law | Premises Liability | December 21, 2020

According to CDC’s most recent data , falls are the leading cause of accidental injuries in the United States. With every decade of life, the risk of a fall grows greater. The prevalence of accidental slip, trip, and fall injuries leaves many people in need of legal assistance to recover damages.

If you’ve been injured in a fall, you’ll likely hear one of two terms to describe the incident: slip & fall or trip & fall . While the two are very similar and can both warrant a personal injury attorney, there are a few key differences that determine which category your accident falls into.

Slip vs. Trip: Why Semantics Matter Here

Slip and trip might be synonyms, but when it comes to personal injury claims, they can’t be used interchangeably. Lawyers approach slip & fall accidents differently than they approach trip & fall accidents.

Knowing the proper classification is the first step toward deciding how to gather information and approach the claim. The type of fall may also determine how much compensation the injured party qualifies for.

Slip & Fall Accidents

A slip & fall accident happens when a person falls as a result of walking on a slippery surface.

Slippery surfaces may include:

Hard floors that are wet, perhaps as a result of mopping, spills, overflows, or condensation
Hard floors that have been waxed
Carpets that create little friction
Round objects on the ground

Slippery surfaces can’t always be prevented—it’s probably a good thing that hard floors get mopped and waxed from time to time—but typically, we walk with caution when we know a slippery surface is ahead to avoid falling. A slip & fall accident usually happens when someone thinks they have more traction than they do, and their feet or shoes lose grip.

When a person slips, their foot slides forward instead of gripping the ground. This causes the rest of their weight to shift back and results in a backward fall.

The rearward nature of a slip & fall accident affects specific parts of the body and can result in any of the following injuries:

Sprained wrists and ankles
Shoulder dislocation
Back injury
Traumatic brain injuries
Spine and nerve damage
Hip problems

Slip & fall accidents can cause external injuries depending on the situation, but almost always, the primary damage is internal.

Trip & Fall Accidents

A trip & fall accident happens when someone trips on an object and can’t bring their back leg forward quick enough to stop them from tumbling. Just about any object obstructing a walkway can cause a person to trip.

Common culprits of trip & falls include:

Items left on the floor (e.g., boxes, toys, tools)
Uneven sidewalks
Unmarked steps or camouflaged changes in elevation
Objects hidden in dim-lit areas

Tripping is a result of someone misjudging the distance between their feet and an object or failing to notice the object entirely. When a person trips, their foot gets stuck on the object in the way while their body continues moving forward. This causes the person to fall forward, not backward like with a slip & fall accident.

Forward falls trigger different reflexes and affect different areas of the body than backward falls. Common outcomes include:

Broken fingers
Sprained thumbs
Broken or fractured arms
Foot injuries
Neck and face injuries
Cuts and scrapes

Trip & fall accidents can be a little bit easier to form a negligence case around because generally, the property manager or owner should have been aware of the potential hazard before the incident occurred. By failing to remove the obstacle or warn people of its existence, they assume some (or all) of the blame.

What to Do After an Accidental Fall

If you find yourself a victim of a slip & fall or trip & fall accident, there are a few things you should do in order to build a strong premises liability case down the road.

1. Seek Medical Treatment

Your health is the most important matter to attend to after a slip, trip, or fall. Getting medical attention for your injuries will not only help your recovery but will create official documentation of your injuries that will come in handy for any legal action you choose to take.

2. Report the Accident

Falls can happen anywhere—at work, in the supermarket, at a friend’s place, or in a park. It’s important to identify the authority of the property where the incident occurred and report the accident. The authority might be a manager, landlord, supervisor, or property owner. Ask whoever’s in charge to put the report in writing and share a copy with you.

3. Document Everything

There’s a lot of information that can come in handy with claims involving slips, trips, and falls. These are pieces of evidence you can start to gather once you’re physically able:

Document the date, time, and exact location of the accident.
Write down what you were doing when you slipped or tripped while it’s fresh in your mind.
Get a photo of the place where you fell and, if possible, any of the conditions that contributed to your injury, like ice, wet spots, or unmarked stairs.
Collect information for anyone who witnessed the fall—that includes names, phone numbers, addresses, and emails. Their testimony may come in handy.
Put the shoes and clothes you were wearing in a safe place. Believe it or not, what you’re wearing makes a difference.

Like with any other potential lawsuit, organized documentation and ample evidence can go a long way toward receiving compensation for damages caused.

4. Don’t Give Any Statements

Until you have legal counsel, it’s best practice to avoid giving anyone statements—especially ones that place or accept blame. Don’t talk about the incident on social media, decline to give statements to any involved insurance company, and be careful what you say to managers and landlords. An attorney will know the best way to approach the situation, and anything you say before speaking to one can potentially hurt your case.

5. Get in Touch With a Lawyer

After suffering a slip, trip, or fall, it’s important to get legal representation that knows the ins and outs of injury law. Present your documentation to an attorney that specializes in slip & fall and trip & fall litigation so that they can advise your next steps and help you get fair compensation for your injuries.

Contact the Atlanta Premises Liability Lawyers at Hasner Law PC For Help

For more information, please contact the Atlanta premises liability law firm of Hasner Law P.C. at our nearest location to schedule a free consultation today.

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Types of Back Injuries Caused by Slip and Fall Accidents

You were more embarrassed than hurt after you slipped on the sidewalk. You were quick to get back up, since you didn’t want to draw attention to yourself, and you knew you banged your elbow pretty badly on the way down. But over the next few days, you’ve had shooting pains in your neck and back—pains that made you completely forget your skinned elbow. Could you have suffered a potentially dangerous back injury even if you walked away from the site of the accident?

Any Slip and Fall Accident Can Cause a Deadly Back Injury

It’s fairly common for a victim of a slip and fall accident to suffer minor pain at first, only to have their back injury progress rapidly over time. It doesn’t matter how small the trip or fall was—any fall has the potential to cause a serious back injury, including:

Spinal fractures . A break or dislocation of the spine is a serious and often life-altering injury. Victims may suffer severe pain in their backs which is only relieved by lying down, and if the injury progresses, patients may suffer damage to the spinal cord that results in permanent paralysis.
Herniated discs . After a fall, the discs between the bones of the spine may be damaged, causing the fluid that cushions the surrounding bones to leak. Without the padding, the bones in the spine may rub together, causing excruciating pain. Slipped or ruptured discs can also place pressure on the spinal cord, causing numbness or paralysis in the legs.
Sciatica . The sciatic nerve runs down the back of the leg from the buttocks through the heel, and may be compressed after an injury to the lower back. This compression causes extreme pain and can lead to numbness or even muscle weakness in the leg, affecting the victim’s ability to walk.
Strains and sprains . Even if the bones of spine remain intact, victims can suffer damage to the muscles and ligaments in the back (known as a sprain or a strain). Although these soft-tissue injuries may not have permanent effects, they are extremely painful and can keep victims out of work for weeks or months at a time.

If you slipped on someone else’s property, you are entitled to payment for your medical costs and the loss of income your injury has caused. At Steinberg Injury Lawyers, we do not charge our clients anything until their case has been resolved, and we will come to you to discuss your case free of charge. Contact us today to find out your legal options.

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The Art of Falling Safely

Simple rules for hitting the ground as softly as possible.

It was nearly 30 years ago that Mrs. Fletcher from the LifeCall commercials first uttered her plaintive cry: “I’ve fallen, and I can’t get up!”

Back then, it was campy and funny. But in the intervening years, chances are that you, and perhaps some of your loved ones, have taken some nasty spills. It’s not just the elderly, though, who end up on the ground.

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A study in the Journal of Allied Health showed that 50- to 60-year-olds fall more than older folks. We’re more active, and that puts us more at risk of falling . Also, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that people are more likely to suffer a traumatic brain injury from falling than from any other cause.

And we’re all going to fall down: The world is full of banana peels. So while avoiding a fall is job one, knowing how to take a fall when it’s inevitable is a crucial skill.

“Be smooth, don’t panic, stay loose,” says Alexa Marcigliano, who is really good at falling down. A professional stuntwoman, she’s taken serious spills in shows such as Orange Is the New Black and Blindspot . Here’s her four-point plan for a safe crash landing.

Step 1: Stay bent

The moment you sense you've lost your balance , get ready to fall with bent elbows and knees. "When people panic, they become rigid," Marcigliano says. "In the stunt world, we never reach out with locked arms. Bend your elbows and have some give in your arms to soften the impact." When you're rigid, you're more likely to suffer a set of injuries called FOOSH — doctor speak for "Fall on outstretched hand." The result is often a broken wrist or elbow.

Step 2: Protect your head

If you're falling forward, be sure to turn your face to the side. Falling backward? "Tuck your chin to your chest so your head doesn't hit the ground," Marcigliano advises.

Step 3: Land on the meat

"One of the things we try for in stunt falls is landing on meaty parts of your body — the muscles in your back, butt or thighs. Not bone." If you keep your knees and elbows bent and look to land on muscle, you'll be less likely to crack your elbows, knees, tailbone or hips.

Step 4: Keep falling

Your instinct will be to stop your body as quickly as you can. But your safest route is to keep rolling — indeed, the more you give in to the fall, the safer it will be. "Spread the impact across a larger part of your body; don't concentrate impact on one area," Marcigliano says. The more you roll with the fall, the safer you will be.

Advanced trick

"In stunts, we do something called slapping out," Marcigliano notes. "As you fall, let your body roll, and extend your arm palm-down, to slap the ground and stop yourself.

Before the fall

While you can’t prevent all slips, there’s plenty you can do to improve your footing.

Be here now. Practice “mindfulness” — focus on the present and be aware of your surroundings, instead of being lost in your thoughts.
Fix your blind spots. If you can’t see it, you can’t avoid tripping over it. Have your eyesight and eyeglasses checked regularly.
Boost your balance. Stand with your feet together. Raise one foot an inch; hold for 30 seconds. Do this for 10 reps. Repeat with your other foot.

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10 Common Back/Spinal Injuries from Slip and Fall Accidents

Every year, millions of people are injured in Slip and Fall Accidents that result in back and spinal injuries. These accidents can happen at any location, including at home. The incidence of becoming injured due to a slip, trip or fall accident is very high in people who are over age 65 . About one third of that population falls, although most of these people do not report their fall to their doctor. Adding to the injury damage is that once you fall, your chance of falling again doubles, according to the CDC.

Slip and Fall Accidents

Slip and Fall Accidents are the most common cause of spinal cord injuries. Falls generally will affect some part of the skeletal system, usually the spinal column, hip region and limbs. Motor vehicle accidents account for most spinal cord injuries. Other accidents that damage the back and spine occur while a person is playing sports, when they are injured at work, or by a violent attack.

Slip and Fall Accidents can occur anywhere you are likely to be:

In the Home – People are injured at home on stairways or by tripping on loose rugs or mats. Another factor may be casual footwear or going barefoot. Older people may fall getting in or out of a tub or shower.
Outdoors – Debris on walkways, snow and ice buildups, and bumpy or broken concrete are typical outdoor hazards.
On Commercial Property – Floors, sidewalks, stairs, escalators, elevators and parking lots that are not kept free from debris or that function improperly can precipitate a slip, trip or fall accident. People may be injured when objects fall from heights or around construction sites. Workers are at risk when safety violations are allowed to occur, especially when working on ladders or scaffolding.
On Private Property – Visiting friends, attending gatherings or even on your own property may result in injuries if hazards exist there.

10 Common Back/Spinal Injuries

The effects of this type of accident can result in a variety of problems, with varying symptoms. In some cases, surgical repair is required, while time can heal other wounds. All will result in pain and suffering, including possible paralysis. The spinal column encases the spinal cord, a main nerve conduit that runs from the brain to other areas of the body. An injury to any point along this pathway will result in symptoms or dysfunction in the area of body that region serves.

Twisting of the Spine – a common sports injury and also may occur in vehicle accidents
Compression of Disc/Slipped Disc – an impact to the spine may cause discs between vertebrae to become damaged, compressed or slip out of place
Broken Bones – falls often result in broken bones in arms, hands, legs or the skull
Head Injury – closed/open wounds – accidents or attacks that injure the head are always serious
Spinal Cord Injury or Cut – may result in paralysis
Whiplash Injury to Neck, Discs, Spine, Spinal Cord – commonly caused from motor vehicle impact as the head whips forward and backward
Nerve Damage – could be aggravated by future trauma as well as the current incident
Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) – long term rehabilitation and future issues with mobility, memory, behavior and cognition
Broken Hips/Pelvis – may require hip replacement, common in older adults when they fall
Torn Tendons and Ligaments – in feet, knees, wrist

The seriousness of an injury depends upon the actual event, impact and forces involved in the accident. Minor injuries also may occur from tripping, falling a short distance, or excessive twisting of the spine. Severe back injuries may result from car accidents or falls from significant heights. Other injuries to the back and spine can affect more distant areas of the body, such as causing pain in the ankle, wrist, hand, arm, knee, foot, or leg.

Preventing Slip and Fall Accidents

There are some precautions to be taken that can reduce the potential for slip and fall accidents. At all times, it is best to wear sturdy footwear, rather than loose casual styles or going barefoot. Shoes offer support and a firm platform that can help you avoid tripping on minor objects or rug bumps.

Keeping clutter cleared from pathways and stairs is a must for homeowners and commercial business owners. Install and use railings on stairs, and use non-skid floor tape on throw rugs or mats. Grab bars are helpful in the bath area, for toilet, shower and tub use. Placement of items you use frequently in convenient places that are easy to reach will help you avoid the need to use ladders or step stools. Have adequate lighting available, especially after dark in commercial parking lots and walkways.

Liability Issues

When someone is injured and suffers back or spinal injuries, medical attention, work loss, incapacity and other physical damages may be compensable with a Personal Injury lawsuit. Placement of liability is an essential element in this action. Liability generally rests with the owner or lessee of property where the accident occurred. If someone is injured on their own property, there still may be a course of action available when liability can be assessed upon an equipment manufacturer if failure of that equipment is the cause of the accident. Commercial property owners and those who rent facilities for gatherings should purchase premises liability insurance coverage to address liability issues.

Main points to consider with liability issues is whether or not the accident was reasonably foreseeable, if the property owner knew about the condition and failed to fix it, or if the condition was evident for a length of time in which the owner should have seen the problem. In some cases, there will be no responsible person; each user needs to take care for their own safe use of or travel on property or buildings.

Personal Injury Attorney

There are many ways a person can suffer back or spinal injuries in Slip and Fall Accidents. If you or a loved one has been injured in this manner, consult with our Personal Injury Attorney to determine if you have a case for legal action to recover fair compensation for your expenses and possibly also suffering. Contact our law firm, (insert law firm name), at (phone number) today for a consultation.

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DO YOU HAVE A CASE? Our team of experts will analyze your case and determine whether or not we feel confident we can win for you. Having extensive experience in personal injury cases, Melinda Helbock knows how traumatizing these events can be. Call us 760.377.8570

Trip and Fall vs. Slip and Fall: What’s The Difference?

So you’ve fallen on the ground and injured yourself. In the aftermath of the accident, the last thing you’d probably think about is whether it was a trip and fall or a slip and fall. I mean, you fell and got hurt, does it really matter how?

Well, if you’re looking to claim compensation for your injury, it will. Knowing whether it was a trip and fall or a slip and fall can have serious legal implications. It can affect how much you should receive or if you’re eligible for compensation at all.

Slip and Fall vs. Trip and Fall

Trip and fall and slip and fall are two terms often used interchangeably. Here’s how they differ:

Trip and Fall

A trip and fall accident happens when the foot strikes or collides with an object resulting in a loss of balance. It’s usually caused by an uneven surface or an object sticking out of the ground. But it can also be caused by the following factors :

poor lighting
Items and clutter left on the floor
uncovered cables
obstructed views
wrinkled carpets
loose or broken floor tiles
buckled wood floors

For example, imagine walking in your workplace and your foot unexpectedly colliding with an uncovered cable. Unless you’ve got some sick ninja moves, you’ll most likely end up falling face down on the floor.

Most of us will also attempt to brace the fall by extending our arms. This is why most trip and fall injuries usually include:

head trauma
facial wounds
dislocated wrists and elbows
dislocated knees
hyperextended elbow

Slip and Fall

As the term suggests, a slip and fall accident happens when there is a lack of traction or too little friction between your foot or footwear and the ground. This causes your feet to slide over the surface you’re walking on, thus propelling you to the ground.

Most slip and fall injuries result from a slippery surface but they can also be caused by:

shiny or glossy surfaces
liquid spills on smooth surfaces
loose or unanchored mats
banana peels
recently waxed hardwood floor
muddy ground
any surfaces with uneven traction

Since slipping tend to make you fall backward , a slip and fall accident is likely to cause:

traumatic brain injuries
neck injuries
hip fractures
back and spinal cord injuries
sprained ankles and wrists
cuts and abrasions
soft tissue injuries
broken elbow

Slips, Trips, and Falls in the Workplace

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), slips trips, and falls account for 18% of nonfatal and 17% of fatal work injuries in 2020. This makes it one of the most common workplace accidents in the US.

It’s especially more common in the construction industry where it’s responsible for about 36.5% of all fatalities. The most common non-fatal slip trip and fall injury is fracture which occurs in 5% of all injured workers.

The risk of developing a serious injury after a slip and fall or trip and fall accident also increases with age. This means that older workers are more likely to develop permanent disabilities as a result of such types of accidents.

Because they’re so common and often occur so suddenly, many workplaces tend to ignore the hazards that often cause these accidents. For instance, a construction site usually has a lot of debris lying around which can cause some people to trip and fall on their faces. Even OSHA itself doesn’t have set rules and regulations that specifically deal with slips, trips, and falls.

Legal Implications

As mentioned, being able to tell the difference between a trip and fall and a slip and fall is important if you’re planning to pursue legal actions.

In trip and fall accidents, you tend to fall facedown. While slip and fall accidents tend to send you falling backward. So if you’re claiming a hip injury because you tripped and fell, it doesn’t exactly add up. I mean, if you’re falling forward, you’ll likely hurt your face or arms more than your hips. That alone will throw doubt on your testimony of what exactly happened.

Remember that when you’re in court, the primary goal is to get the judge to rule in your favor. If the circumstantial evidence doesn’t make sense, how can you convince them that you’re telling the truth? You might end up losing your claim.

Of course, if you’re hurting or unconscious after the fall, the details might become hazy. This is why you need to remember as many details as you can. You can also gather testimonies from witnesses and medical records to prove your claim. The more information you have, the better your chances of winning your case.

Can You Claim Workers Comp Benefits?

According to the National Floor Safety Institute , slips trips, and falls are the leading causes of workers’ compensation claims. So if you’re wondering whether you can claim workers comp benefits after a trip and fall or a slip and fall accident, then yes, you can – as long as it’s work-related.

As per the National Safety Council , the average workers’ comp settlement for fall and slip accidents is $47,681 – one of the highest among all types of work-related accidents. People who suffered a fracture, crush, and dislocation received an average of $59,749.

These figures, however, will still depend on the severity of your injury and how many days off from work you’ll need. If you suffered a severe injury, like a broken spinal cord or serious neck injuries, you’ll most likely need more intensive medical care and treatment as opposed to minor bruises and cuts. You’ll also need more time off from work. All these can increase your workers comp benefit amount.

But as with any other type of work-related injury, claiming workers comp won’t be that easy.

It’s not exactly a secret that employers and insurance companies don’t like paying compensation. The process will be even harder if you can’t even tell whether you tripped or slipped.

This is where hiring an experienced workers comp lawyer like Victor Malca would help a lot. Aside from advising you on what your rights are as an injured worker, he can help you gather evidence for your case too. Plus, a workers comp lawyer will also represent you in court should you and your employer fail to agree on a settlement.

A person who has tripped and fallen near a wet floor sign.

Workers Comp Benefits for Slips, Trips, and Fall

Since workers compensation is implemented on a state level, the rules and regulations tend to vary across the country. But in general, workers comp benefits for slips, trips, and fall will consist of the following:

Medical Benefits

In most states, workers comp medical benefits will cover all necessary medical expenses. This includes emergency medical treatment, medical bills, medical supplies, medications, surgery and orthopedic devices (if necessary). Though most workers comp laws require that your treating doctor must be accredited by your insurance provider. Otherwise, your claim can get denied.

In general, workers comp will pay for all your medical bills and expenses until you reach maximum medical improvement (MMI). In case of permanent disabilities, your compensation may also include payment for maintenance medications as needed.

Lost Wages Compensation

Aside from paying for your medical expenses, your workers comp benefits will also include lost wages compensation if your injury caused you to miss work. The amount will be based on your average weekly wage from before you got injured.

In Florida , you can receive up to 66 ⅔% of your average weekly wage depending on the severity of your injury. However, you’ll only be paid for the first seven days of your absence from work if your injury extends to over 21 days.

For temporary slip, trip, and fall injuries, lost wages benefits will last until you reach MMI but shall not exceed 104 weeks. Though if you return to work before that, your workers comp payments will most likely stop.

What to Do After a Slip, Trip, and Fall Accident

If you’ve been involved in a slip, trip, and fall accident, especially in the workplace, here’s what you should do:

1. Get Medical Help

This is pretty basic in almost all emergency situations. If you are conscious, the first thing you need to do immediately after the accident is to get medical help, especially if you suffered a severe injury.

If you’re alone and you have your phone with you, don’t hesitate to call 911. If you’re with a group of people, get them to call an ambulance or take you to the emergency room.

At this point, the most important thing is to get medical help. You may be conscious but there’s no telling how the impact affected your body until after you get to the hospital. Getting medical treatment will also make it easier for you to secure a doctor’s report which will be useful when you pursue legal action or file a workers comp claim.

2. Gather Evidence

One way our body deals with trauma is to suppress our memory of the actual accident. This is why most people who’ve been involved in an accident usually find it hard to remember details of the accident.

Unfortunately, those details will most likely be necessary if you decide to take your case to court. So while waiting for help to arrive, take photos or videos of the accident scene. If you can’t, ask someone to do it for you. Take photos of the slippery surface, that uncovered cable, or whatever it is that caused your injury. In addition to the doctor’s report, you can use this as evidence that the accident is indeed work-related.

3. Report the Accident

After getting a first aid treatment, the next thing you should do is formally report the accident to your employer.

In most states, workers’ compensation laws impose a time limit for reporting injuries. In Florida, for instance, you need to report your injury within 30 days after it happened. Otherwise, you won’t be able to claim workers’ compensation benefits.

4. Look for Witnesses

Having testimonies from eyewitnesses will add more credibility to your case. So if one of your coworkers or anyone saw what happened, get their contact information like name, address, phone number, or email. You might need their testimonies later on. Or they might have taken a photo or video of the accident. Those might come in handy too.

5. Talk to Your Lawyer

Getting compensation for slip, trip, and fall accidents can be complicated especially if there’s doubt that the accident is work-related. This is why, ideally, you should talk to your lawyer before negotiating a settlement with your employer or insurance company.

Most of the time, employers and insurance companies have their own legal team who works on disproving cases like yours. But having an experienced workers’ compensation lawyer like Victor Malca by your side can even out the playing field. His extensive experience in defending workers’ comp cases will help you get a more favorable settlement. He has already helped a lot of injured workers in Florida. He can help you get the benefits you deserve too. Contact us for a free consultation .

(Related: How Does A Workers Comp Investigation Work? )

VICTOR MALCA – Florida Workers Compensation & Social Security Disability Attorney

Victor Malca P.A. has over 27 years of litigation experience in Workers Compensation and Social Security Disability lawsuits. His experience and continued success when fighting for his clients puts him among the most trusted workers’ compensation attorney’s in Florida. He specializes in representing injured workers on compensation benefit cases and disabled individuals claiming lost social security disability benefits.

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Judy Ponio is a writer and editor for the Victor Malca Law P.A. website and blog. She enjoys helping people in need with questions about social security disability and workers compensation law. She has a passion for helping those in need and the elderly with accurate legal information that can make a positive difference in their lives.

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Back to Basics, Injuries and Illness

Back to basics: slips, trips, and falls.

Updated: Oct 23, 2023

Back to Basics is a weekly feature that highlights important but possibly overlooked information that any EHS professional should know. This week, we examine slips, trips, and falls.

How much are workplace slips, trips, and falls costing you?

“Falls on the same level” often get lumped together with falls from height in slips, trips, and falls. While falls from height can sometimes be fatal, falls on the same level can lead to costly nonfatal injuries, resulting in several days away from work for injured workers and workers’ compensation claims for employers.

According to insurer Liberty Mutual, falls on the same level cost employers $8.98 billion a year. Falls on the same level are the second-leading cause of seriously disabling workplace injuries in the insurer’s 2023 Liberty Mutual Workplace Safety Index .

“Overexertion involving outside sources,” or lifting heavy objects, is the index’s leading cause of disabling injuries.

“Slip or trip without fall” is the ninth leading cause of disabling injury, according to Liberty Mutual’s index. Liberty Mutual reported that injuries on slippery or uneven walkways cost employers $1.98 billion a year.

First, some definitions: Slips are a loss of balance directly caused by too little friction between workers’ feet and walking surfaces. Wet surfaces, spills, and weather hazards like ice and snow can lead to a lack of friction.

Trips occur when workers’ feet hit an object and workers are moving with enough momentum to be thrown off balance.

Falls on the same level occur when workers get too far off their center of balance.

Safety professionals aware of slip, trip, fall hazards

Travelers, another insurer, reported that slips, trips, and falls on the same level are the second-leading cause of injury, accounting for 15% of all accidents, with approximately 25,000 slip, trip, and fall accidents occurring daily in the United States.

According to the National Safety Council (NSC), falls on the same level are the third-leading type of preventable injury at work after exposure to harmful substances and overexertion injuries. Falls on the same level affect every industry and workplace but are prevalent in the service, healthcare, and retail industries, according to the NSC.

Data shows that the median number of days away from work following a fall on the same level is 12 days.

The NSC suggests that effective signage can help prevent injuries, regulatory violations, and higher insurance premiums.

Slip, trip, and fall hazards show up in many industries, but wholesale and retail trade (WRT) establishments suffer high rates of slip, trip, and fall injuries. The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) offered several recommendations for protecting workers in the wholesale and retail industries.

Hazardous workplace factors include boxes or containers that obstruct workers’ field of vision; ice, rain, and snow; loose mats or rugs; poor lighting; spills that can create slippery surfaces; and walking surfaces that are in disrepair, have protruding nails and boards, or have changes in floor height.

NIOSH’s recommendations for employers include the following:

Develop a written slip, trip, and fall prevention policy that spells out both employer and worker responsibilities.
Ensure that aisles and passageways are free of clutter and other tripping hazards.
Provide proper lighting in all areas indoors and outdoors to reduce shadows, dark areas, and glare so that trip hazards or surface irregularities are clearly visible, and promptly replace burnt-out light bulbs.
If electrical cords are regularly used in a workspace, install outlets so that cords don’t cross walkways.
Select flooring material according to the work performed in an area.
Provide cleanup supplies—paper towels, absorbent material, “wet floor” signs, etc.—at convenient locations in the facility.
Provide umbrella bags to prevent rainwater from dripping onto the floor.
Use mats to provide slip-resistant walking surfaces by absorbing liquid and removing dirt, debris, and liquid from shoes. Mats should be large enough so that several footsteps fall on the mat and clean contaminants off the shoes.
Provide water-absorbent mats near entrances and other areas where water, ice, or snow may drip or be tracked onto the floor.
In grocery stores, ensure water from produce spray misters is directed onto produce and not spraying onto the floor.
In grocery stores, provide customers with paper towels and plastic bags and for wet produce to prevent it from dripping water onto the floor.

You should supplement engineering controls with worker training. You need to train employees to identify slip, trip, and fall hazards and how to prevent slips, trips, and falls by using safe cleaning procedures and placing caution signs and/or cones around the site to warn other employees and visitors to avoid wet walking surfaces.

NIOSH also has employer guidance for preventing slips, trips, and falls in health care. According to NIOSH, the top slip, trip, and fall hazards in health care are:

Contaminants (fluids, food, grease, oil, and water) on the floor;
Poor drainage of drains and pipes;
Walking surface irregularities indoors and outdoors like uneven flooring or ground and holes, protrusions, and rocks;
Weather conditions like ice and snow;
Inadequate lighting;
Stairs and handrails;
Stepstools and ladders;
Tripping hazards like clutter, loose cords, hoses, wires, and medical tubing; and
Improper use of floor mats and runners.

NIOSH’s guide includes an extensive checklist of slip, trip, and fall hazards that should be addressed in a healthcare facility.

OSHA has its own checklist for recognizing slip, trip, and fall hazards in the workplace. The list covers the general work environment, as well as aisles and walkways; escalators; elevated surfaces; floor and wall openings; ladders and scaffolding; parking lots and sidewalks; and ramps, stairs, and stairways.

NIOSH also warns young retail workers that slips, trips, and falls can result in bruises, bumps, cuts, fractures, scratches, sprains, and strains. The institute cautions young workers to clear stairs and walkways of tripping hazards like cords and wires, clutter, and empty cartons; to use handrails when walking up and downstairs; and to clean up spills and anything slippery on floors and the rungs, steps, and feet of ladders.

Control measures and training can be further supplemented with personal protective equipment. Employees who work on wet or contaminated walking surfaces should wear slip-resistant shoes. Workers should choose footwear that’s also resistant to chemicals, heat, and oil.

NIOSH has looked into the value of wearing slip-resistant shoes.

Laboratory studies of slip-resistant footwear to reduce slips, trips, and falls had shown promise in reducing slips, but until a few years ago, there was little research showing the effectiveness of slip-resistant shoes.

In 2019, NIOSH researched the effectiveness of slip-resistant shoes in a study of 17,000 food service workers in 226 school districts serving kindergarten through 12th-grade students. Workers were randomly assigned either to a group that received no-cost, “5-star-rated” slip-resistant shoes or to a group that bought their own slip-resistant shoes.

Researchers looked at workers’ compensation injury claims for accidents caused by slipping on wet or greasy surfaces to evaluate the effectiveness of the shoes.

The group that was provided with highly rated slip-resistant shoes saw a 67% reduction in claims for slip injuries.

There was a baseline of 3.54 slipping injuries per 10,000 months worked among the intervention group, which was reduced to 1.18 slipping injuries per 10,000 months worked after slip-resistant shoes were provided.

Employees who handle materials should ensure the walkways are unobstructed before transporting large materials that might block their view. They should walk with caution and make wide turns at corners. They also should push rather than pull carts to allow a better line of sight.

Housekeeping measures can also help prevent slips, trips, and falls. Your housekeeping policies should include:

Cleaning floors and work surfaces as soon as they become wet;
Inspecting refrigerated and freezer cases for water leakage onto the floor surfaces and placing absorbent strips and water-absorbent mats on the floor until the unit is repaired;
Placing warning signs in wet-floor areas and removing them promptly when floors are clean and dry;
Using no-skid waxes in slippery areas and using soap that doesn’t leave a slippery residue;
Maintaining drainage and providing false floors (elevated floors usually 2 to 4 inches above the structural floor designed to provide a surface for safe transit), platforms, or nonslip mats during wet or oily processes;
Cleaning only one side of a passageway at a time to allow room for passing;
Keeping passageways clear at all times and marking permanent aisles and passageways; and
Taping or anchoring electrical cords to floors if they cross walkways.

Workplace housekeeping

In a safety talk handout , the NSC emphasizes the importance of workplace housekeeping in factories and manufacturing plants, offices, and warehouses.

Workplace housekeeping can prevent slip, trip, and fall hazards, as well as control fire hazards and prevent falling objects.

The NSC recommends housekeeping measures suggested by the Canadian Centre for Occupational Safety and Health (CCOSH) that include:

Cleaning all spills immediately;
Mopping or sweeping debris from floors;
Marking spills and wet areas;
Removing obstacles from walkways and keeping walkways free of clutter;
Securing carpets, mats, and rugs that don’t lay flat (tacking or taping floor coverings, for example);
Ensuring file cabinet or storage drawers are closed;
Covering cables or cords that cross walkways; and
Keeping working areas and walkways well lit and replacing used light bulbs and faulty light switches.

Some industry groups tout “how to fall” training as a method of mitigating slip, trip, and fall injuries. Others offer “safe walking” tips like “watch where you are going,” “be aware of your environment,” “keep an eye out for changes in elevation,” and “take your time and don’t rush.”

According to the CCOSH, specialty footwear or training on proper walking and “safe falling” will never be fully effective without adequate housekeeping practices.

Federal regulation

Slip, trip, and fall hazards are addressed in the Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s (OSHA) walking-working surfaces standards (29 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 1910 Subpart D). In 2016, OSHA issued a final rule revising subpart D to incorporate advances in technology, industry best practices, and national consensus standards to ensure cost-efficient and effective worker protection. The revised rule requires employers to inspect walking-working surfaces regularly to correct, repair, or guard against hazardous conditions.

OSHA defines a “walking-working surface” as “any horizontal or vertical surface on or through which an employee walks, works, or gains access to a work area or workplace location.” Ensure aisles and walkways in your facility are kept clear of slipping or tripping hazards that lead to falls on the same level.

Defining ‘Tripped’: The Cause-and-Effect Relationships Within a Fall

When we first learned to walk, falling was part of the process (a regular occurrence, normal). When you’re small and close to the ground, falling isn’t usually a problem. But as we get older and taller, we’re farther from the ground, we weigh more, and our bones aren’t as pliable. As an adult, the risk of serious injury from a fall is much higher.

At work, falls can be serious. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics , falls account for one-fourth of all reported injury claims. Incredibly, slips, trips and falls are also the second-leading cause of accidental death at work with about 16 fatalities per week (almost 850 per year). Only motor vehicle fatalities are higher. Just as defensive driving helps reduce the risk of vehicle accidents, defensive walking strategies, such as keep your eyes on the path, staying clear of objects and using the handrail, can be used to reduce the risk of falling.

Tripped and Fell

Trip-and-fall is a cause-and-effect relationship shown in Figure 1 (below). The question, “Why did the person fall?” is answered with “Because the person tripped.” The effect is on the left, the cause is on right, as is the convention on all Cause Map™ diagrams. The Why questions build the incident analysis backwards . The investigation starts with a negative outcome, then identifies what contributed to that unwanted result. The connector arrows point to the left indicating the cause occurs before the effect.

The basic analysis above is accurate, but not thorough. Continuing to ask Why questions will expand the analysis to whatever level of detail is needed to thoroughly explain what happened.

Tripped on a Step

Let’s look at a specific situation where a person tripped on a step resulting in a fall with an injury. During a review of the incident, the person who tripped said, “I didn’t even see that step.” The cause-and-effect relationship in Figure 1 can be expanded into the 3-Why below.

Figure 2. 3-Why

The labels “Why,” “Because” and “was caused by” are shown on this Map, but they’re not required when people are familiar with the method. The Map reads left to right with the phrase was caused by represented by the arrows between the boxes. The Map can also be read right to left by saying “which resulted in” or “which caused.” For example, the person didn’t see the step, which caused the person to trip.

3 Meanings of 'Tripped'

Avoiding misunderstandings is an important part of explaining and preventing problems. Sometimes, an issue can be made clearer by adding detail. The definition of the word “tripped,” according to Google, is to catch one's foot on something and stumble or fall. There are three different cause-and-effect relationships in that definition. 1) The person stumbled 2) because they caught their foot on the step, 3) which resulted in the fall. Those causes and effects lay out in a Cause Map diagram like this:

Figure 3. 4-Why

In the example above, the word “Tripped” is written above each of the three different meanings for the sake of this example. Tripped doesn’t need to be broken out this way each time, but it can be, if needed. This same approach of breaking down cause and effect applies to the problems you’re investigating—safety incidents, equipment failures, production losses and operational errors. The objective isn’t to add as much detail as possible, it’s to add as much as needed to understand the issue and find effective solutions.

Finding More Options to Reduce Risk

The straight-line cause-and-effect analysis above can be expanded into parallel paths. Just because you stumble and lose your balance doesn’t mean you will fall. If you’re able to regain your balance you can avoid the fall.

Eyes Not on the Path – Adding Other Causes

There are two Maps in Figure 5: a 4-Why and a 10-Why. Both start with the safety goal being adversely affected. The 4-Why is a simple analysis. The 10-Why is a more detailed explanation. Both Maps are accurate. Several different possible solutions are shown in green above the cause they’d control. Several of the solution options shown on the 10-Why are not obvious in the 4-Why. Adding more detail during an investigation naturally expands the range of possible solutions that are considered. This is one of the advantages of adding detail to your investigations.

Notice, for contact between a foot and a step, it requires the foot to be in a specific location and the step to be in a specific location. If the foot is raised a little higher, then the step isn’t hit. If the step is not in that area, the foot doesn’t hit it. The causes in the 10-Why show that the person’s foot is at that specific location because they didn’t the see step, and they were taking that path. If they were aware of the step and lifted their foot slightly, the person wouldn’t have tripped on that step. This is the benefit of keeping our eyes on the path where we’re walking—to be aware of a step. If the person had taken a different route, the step could be avoided altogether.

The details are already inside every incident. Your investigation reveals those details. The Cause Mapping® method allows the investigation to begin very basic then expand as needed. The details aren’t necessary for every issue, but they’re available if an organization wants to dig into them.

Figure 5. Simple 4-Why and a more detailed 10-Why Cause Map diagram

Because all of the causes were required to produce the issue, all of the causes don’t have to be solved. Changing just one cause reduces the risk of the incident. By changing more than one, also known as layers of protection, risk can be made even lower. Just like the combination of antilock brakes, crumple zones, seat belts and air bags produce a cumulative reduction in risk in automobiles.

Test This Approach

The problems in your organization may be more complex than tripping on a step, but the approach can be applied the same way. Break down the cause-and-effect relationships within your problems by asking and answering one Why question at time. With the Cause Mapping method of root cause analysis, a problem investigation can begin with one or two cause-and-effect relationships in a straight-line. From that simple start, the analysis can be expanded into as much detail as needed – like this fall example. Learning to diagram your problems with a Cause Map diagram provides a structured, systematic way to dissect, document and communicate issues.

More Resources

To learn more about developing cause-and-effect analysis skills in your organization, visit our website to find examples and register for our free weekly webinars. You can also develop your skills by attending one of our workshops in a city near you or hosting a workshop at your site, just contact our office directly if you have questions or would like additional information.

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April 2, 2024

Walking Backward Helps You Move Ahead with Joint Health

Experts explain how moving in reverse can take pressure off your knees and improve flexibility

By Jocelyn Solis-Moreira

Illustration of a man and a path of footsteps in front of him

Francescoch/Getty Images

Walking backward down the block or in the park might seem like a bizarre way to get around, but a recent TikTok trend is lauding its potential health benefits.

Social media influencers claim that backward walking—or “retro-walking”—strengthens the body and brain. TikTok isn’t always a credible source for health information (remember when people were taking laxatives to lose weight? ), but walking backward is an exercise that at least some health experts can get behind. Physical therapist Kristyn Holc of Atlantic Sports Health Physical Therapy in New Jersey says doctors have been recommending retro-walking for decades; she adds that it is especially helpful for older adults who are more likely to experience joint pain. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention , one in four adults aged 45 to 64 have been diagnosed with arthritis. And a number of experts say walking backward can help take you forward when it comes to strengthening the lower body—no matter your age.

What Are the Health Benefits of Backward Walking?

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Retro-walking (or retroambulation, as some scientists call it) moves the joints in reverse; this engages different muscle groups than usual and relieves some pressure on the knees. Walking forward uses muscles on the front of the thigh —the quadriceps, or “quads”—but Holc says these muscles are even more strongly activated when moving in reverse. Greater quad activity causes the knee to stretch more, which can help alleviate knee pain and reduce muscle tightness. Importantly, walking backward relieves pressure on the inner side of the knee, where many older adults develop arthritis, Holc says.

Moving in reverse also works out your butt. It forces your gluteal muscles to repeatedly contract and thus strengthens them over time, Holc explains. Exercising the glutes also creates some extra stretching in the hip flexors, a muscle group involved in posture, balance and stabilizing the lower spine. Stretching this group can help alleviate back pain.Because muscles and joints become less flexible with age, “the muscles within your hips and in your bottom become really important for promoting functional mobility and reducing pain,” Holc says.

Retro-walking exercises also improve proprioception, the ability to sense the body’s movements and position in space, says Tom Holland , an exercise physiologist and author of the book The Micro-Workout Plan . When coordinating movement, the human brain prioritizes visual data over other sensory information, such as hearing and smell. Reflexes and eyesight both weaken with age, however, making older adults more prone to losing their balance and falling. Walking backward challenges you to actively think about where you’re going and forces the brain to collect more information than usual from your other senses, Holland explains.

How to Start Backward Walking Exercises Safely

People can go for a walk almost anywhere, and the same applies to walking in reverse—but safety should be kept in mind. Obviously, the reduced field of vision increases the risk of bumping into obstacles. Holc and Holland both recommend starting on a treadmill, if possible; it eliminates the need to constantly look over your shoulder, and you can hold on to the handrails while getting used to this kind of movement. A person can also use a treadmill’s safety clip to automatically stop the machine if they slip—a helpful feature for older adults who are prone to head injuries and hip fractures from a fall. Holland says that people with preexisting musculoskeletal conditions should consult their doctor or work with a trainer to help them with the exercise.

If you walk backward outside, Holc advises going with a walking buddy. This person walks forward and acts as your eyes, preventing you from running into objects or other people—or entering traffic. People should also choose a familiar route that has few potential obstacles. For example, walking backward on an outdoor track would likely be safer than on a trail in the woods.

Holland recommends starting slowly to get the brain accustomed to walking backward. For a 30-minute walk, he advises alternating between retro-walking and walking forward for two minutes each at about 0.5 miles per hour. As you get more comfortable walking backward, you can extend the time or challenge yourself at different speeds and inclines. The extra resistance while walking backward will lead to greater muscle activation.

If you eventually build up to 10 straight minutes of walking backward three times a week, you could start noticing a difference in balance and joint strength after about four weeks at this activity level, Holc says. But even sparing a minute or two each day to move in reverse can help.

Solar Eclipse 2024

Helpful Tips for Planning Your Solar Eclipse Trip

T here are few natural phenomena that can evoke the same emotion of a solar eclipse . Around the world, myths and legends have developed to explain the rare event, which happens when the shadow of the moon blocks the light from the sun, causing a period of temporary darkness in the middle of the day. In ancient China, eclipses were said to signal that the sun was being devoured by a dragon, while in South America, subjects of the Inca Empire believed it signaled the sun god’s anger at the world.

On April 8, 2024, those in Canada, the U.S., and Mexico will have the opportunity to view a total solar eclipse for themselves. TIME spoke to veteran solar eclipse travelers for tips, so that anyone planning a solar eclipse trip can get the most out of the experience.

What to consider before you embark on a solar eclipse trip

Travel to the path of totality.

Most places on the eclipse path will only be able to experience a partial solar eclipse, where the sun is not completely covered by the moon. Many people assume that might be enough, but to really experience what a solar eclipse feels like, you should travel to the path of totality, where the sun is 100% covered. “A partial eclipse is not an eclipse. It really does not come close. You need to be in the path of totality to really experience it,” Paul Bryans, a project scientist at the National Center for Atmospheric Research, tells TIME.

To check if a location is in the line of totality, you can use this map . Places within the line of totality are shaded in the darkest shade of red.

Read More: How Cities Around the U.S. Are Celebrating the Eclipse

Weather conditions

Another thing to think about when considering where to travel for a solar eclipse is the weather conditions in different places along the line of totality. You might not get the full experience if it is cloudy outside. When there are clouds blocking the sun and the moon, the eclipse effects are much less dramatic.

One way to avoid this problem is to choose a place along the line of totality with a high chance of sunny weather. For the eclipse in 2024, many of the places with the highest expected chances of sunny weather are in Mexico. If you would rather stay in the U.S. for the duration of the eclipse, many places in Texas are also expected to have good weather conditions. As a general rule for the 2024 eclipse, the further south along the eclipse line you go, the better your chances of good weather. “When you get to the northern parts, you have a much higher possibility of being disappointed,” Brian McGee, founder of Astro Trails , a company that leads solar eclipse tours, tells TIME.

Book accommodations and tickets in advance

Every expert TIME spoke with warned about how quickly accommodations and travel tickets sell out in places where the eclipse will happen. You can expect Airbnbs and hotel prices to go up dramatically for dates close to or during the eclipse. Transportation may also take way longer than usual. Traffic jams caused by tourists flocking into cities to catch the solar eclipse might make your travel time significantly longer so you should plan accordingly. During the 2017 solar eclipse, major traffic jams were recorded in Wyoming and Kentucky . The streets did not return to normal until approximately nine hours after the eclipse ended.

Whatever you do, make sure to arrive at your destination several hours before the eclipse starts. “It's going to be crazy on the day of the eclipse. So my advice to people is if they're going to travel, either by car or by airplane, do it early. Don't leave it until Monday, April 8,” John Gianforte, director of the observatory at the University of New Hampshire, tells TIME.

Read More : How Animals and Nature React to an Eclipse

What to consider during your solar eclipse trip

Protect your eyes.

During the build up towards the solar eclipse, many people like to observe the sun to watch as the moon slowly covers more and more of it. However, if you want to view this period of partial eclipse, it is critical to use proper eye protection. “The fact that there is an eclipse doesn't make it any more dangerous to look at the sun, but it makes people want to look at the sun,” says Gianforte.

Regular sunglasses do not provide enough protection for observing the eclipse, but the American Astronomical Society has a list of eclipse eye protection suppliers that meet the international safety standards. If you already wear eyeglasses, make sure the solar filter is placed on the outside of your glasses. Similarly, if you are viewing the partial eclipse through a camera, you need to make sure there is a certified solar filter on top of your camera lens. These filters are designed to protect your camera and your eyes from the dangerous portions of the sun's radiation. Whatever lens you view the eclipse through, “the closest thing to the sun has to be the filter,” says Gianforte.

During totality, remove eye protection

A common misconception about solar eclipses is that you must keep your solar protection glasses on at all times. However, if you are in the path of totality and the sun is 100% covered by the moon, you can look directly at the eclipse without eye protection. The eclipse veterans TIME spoke with strongly recommended removing solar protection from both your eyes and camera equipment during the period of totality to truly take in the experience. “Once there's totality then you should absolutely take your glasses off and look directly at the sun,” says Bryans. “If you don’t do that you’ll miss a lot of the most interesting parts of it.”

However, it is important to remember that for the 2024 eclipse, the period of totality will last for a maximum of four and a half minutes according to NASA . Make sure to check the exact timing of totality in the place where you are viewing the eclipse from, and immediately resume using solar filters right before the period of totality ends.

Read More : These Are All the Different Types of Eclipses

Observe your surroundings

One of the most fascinating things to observe during an eclipse is not just the eclipse itself, but also the way the environment around you changes. During the period of totality, you’ll be able to feel the temperature drop by about 10°F. Animals such as birds, cats, and dogs, may start to act differently as they grapple with the confusion of the sun suddenly disappearing in the middle of the day. You may even be able to see some brighter stars and planets when you look at the sky once the sun is covered up.

What to consider after your solar eclipse trip

Journal about your experience.

After the eclipse, you may want to journal about your thoughts and feelings to help remember the experience and take in the beauty of what you just witnessed. Seeing an eclipse can sometimes cause people to feel overwhelmed with emotion, and journaling can be a good way to process those feelings. “It’s one of the most emotion-evoking natural events that you can see,” says Gianforte. “It’s like if you go to the Grand Canyon or Mount Everest… it's just hard to explain it. Everyone should, at least once in their life, see a total solar eclipse.”

Wait until the next day to travel back, if possible

Just as you may anticipate traffic jams on the way there, you should also expect similar delays on the way back. It’s a good idea to hang around an extra day since it could help you avoid congestion on the roads.

More Must-Reads From TIME

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Passengers Are Flying up to 30 Hours to See Four Minutes of the Eclipse
Biden’s Campaign Is In Trouble. Will the Turnaround Plan Work?
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Your last-minute guide to Monday's total solar eclipse

Photo Illustration: The phases of a total solar eclipse

A total solar eclipse will cross North America on Monday , offering millions a rare opportunity to see afternoon skies temporarily darken as the moon blocks the face of the sun.

Tune into NBC News NOW as Lester Holt hosts a two-hour special at 2 p.m. ET Monday from Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

The eclipse's path fortuitously cuts across Mexico, 15 U.S. states and a small part of eastern Canada. In all other states in the continental U.S., viewers will be treated to a partial solar eclipse, with the moon appearing to take a bite out of the sun and obscuring part of its light.

Here’s everything you need to know about the rare celestial event.

What is a solar eclipse?

Solar eclipses occur when the sun, moon and Earth align. The moon passes between Earth and sun, temporarily blocking the sun’s light and casting a shadow on Earth.

A total solar eclipse is when the moon fully obscures the sun, whereas a partial solar eclipse means it blocks just a portion of the sun’s face.

Solar eclipses occur only with the new moon. Because the moon’s orbit around Earth is tilted, the three bodies don’t always line up in a way that creates an eclipse.

“Imagine if the moon’s orbit were in the plane of Earth’s orbit around the sun — if that were the case, then every new moon, you’d have a total solar eclipse and every full moon, you’d have a lunar eclipse,” Neil DeGrasse Tyson, director of the Hayden Planetarium at the American Museum of Natural History, told NBC News. “So, because things don’t always align, it lends to the rarity of the event and the specialness of the event.”

Where and when will the eclipse be visible?

This year’s eclipse will follow a slightly wider path over more populated areas of the continental U.S. than other total solar eclipses have in the recent past.

NASA estimates that 31.6 million people live within what’s known as the path of totality, where the total solar eclipse will be visible. An additional 150 million people live within 200 miles of the path, according to the agency.

The path travels through Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Missouri, Illinois, Kentucky, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York, Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine. Tiny parts of Michigan and Tennessee will also be able to witness totality if conditions are clear.

After the eclipse crosses into Canada, it will pass over southern Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island and Cape Breton, at the eastern end of Nova Scotia.

Those outside the path of totality can still take part in the astronomical event by viewing a partial solar eclipse — visible throughout all 48 states of the contiguous U.S. — or a NASA livestream.

The timing, including how long totality lasts, depends on the location, but some spots will see the moon fully cover the sun for up to 4 minutes and 28 seconds.

Below is a list of timings for some cities along the path of totality, as provided by NASA . A number of other resources, including NationalEclipse.com and TimeandDate.com , can also help people plan.

Dallas: Partial eclipse begins at 12:23 p.m. CT and totality at 1:40 p.m.
Little Rock, Arkansas: Partial eclipse begins at 12:33 p.m. CT and totality at 1:51 p.m.
Cleveland: Partial eclipse begins at 1:59 p.m. ET and totality at 3:13 p.m.
Buffalo, New York: Partial eclipse begins at 2:04 p.m. ET and totality at 3:18 p.m.
Lancaster, New Hampshire: Partial eclipse begins at 2:16 p.m. ET and totality at 3:27 p.m.

This composite image of thirteen photographs shows the progression of a total solar eclipse

How to safely view a solar eclipse

It is never safe to gaze directly at the sun, even when it is partly or mostly covered by the moon. Special eclipse glasses or pinhole projectors are required to safely view solar eclipses and prevent eye damage. Failing to take the proper precautions can result in severe eye injury, according to NASA .

Eclipse glasses are thousands of times darker than normal sunglasses and specially made to enable wearers to look at the sun during these kinds of celestial events.

Sky-watchers should also never view any part of the sun through binoculars, telescopes or camera lenses unless they have specific solar filters attached. Eclipse glasses should not be used with these devices, as they will not provide adequate protection.

However, during the few minutes of totality, when the moon is fully blocking the sun, it is safe to look with the naked eye.

Beware of fake eclipse glasses. On legitimate pairs, the lenses should have a silver appearance on the front and be black on the inside. The manufacturer’s name and address should be clearly labeled, and they should not be torn or punctured. Check, as well, for the ISO logo and the code “IS 12312-2” printed on the inside.

If you don’t have eclipse glasses, you can make a homemade pinhole projector, which lets sunlight in through a small hole, focuses it and projects it onto a piece of paper, wall or other surface to create an image of the sun that is safe to look at.

All you need is two pieces of white cardboard or plain white paper, aluminum foil and a pin or thumbtack. Cut a 1- to 2-inch square or rectangle out of the center of a piece of white paper or cardboard. Tape aluminum foil over that cut-out shape, then use a pin or thumbtack to poke a tiny hole in the foil.

During the eclipse, place a second piece of white paper or cardboard on the ground as a screen and hold the projector with the foil facing up and your back to the sun. Adjusting how far you hold the projector from the second piece of paper will alter the size of the image on the makeshift screen.

What to look for while viewing the total solar eclipse

For people along the path of totality, there are some fun milestones to keep track of as the total solar eclipse unfolds.

As the eclipse progresses and the sun gets thinner in the sky, it will start to get eerily dark, according to Tyson.

The "diamond ring effect" is shown following totality of the solar eclipse at Palm Cove in Australia's Tropical North Queensland in 2012.

When the last beams of sunlight are about to become obscured, look out for the “diamond ring effect”: The sun’s atmosphere will appear as an illuminated halo, and the last light still visible will look like the diamond of a giant ring.

As the sunlight decreases even further, an effect known as Baily’s beads will be created by the moon’s rugged terrain. Tiny “beads” of light will be visible for only a few seconds around the dark moon, as the last bits of sunlight peer through the moon’s mountains and valleys.

When the moon is fully blocking the sun, it is safe to remove eclipse glasses and look at the total solar eclipse with the naked eye.

The Bailey's Beads effect is seen as the moon makes its final move over the sun during the total solar eclipse on Monday, August 21, 2017 above Madras, Oregon.

Some lucky sky-watchers may even catch a glimpse of a comet .

Comet 12P/Pons-Brooks — nicknamed the “ devil comet ” because an eruption last year left it with two distinct trails of gas and ice in the shape of devil horns — is currently visible from the Northern Hemisphere as it swings through the inner solar system.

The comet can be seen in the early evenings by gazing toward the west-northwest horizon. During the eclipse, when skies darken during totality, it may be possible to see the comet near Jupiter, but its visibility will depend on whether it’s in the middle of an outburst and thus brighter than normal.

Most likely, all eyes will be on the alignment of the moon and sun.

“Most people won’t even notice,” Tyson said. “But if you know to look, it’s there.”

When is the next solar eclipse?

The next total solar eclipse will be in 2026, but it will mostly pass over the Arctic Ocean, with some visibility in Greenland, Iceland, Portugal and northern Spain. In 2027, a total solar eclipse will be visible in Spain and a swath of northern Africa.

The next total solar eclipse visible from North America will be in 2033, but only over Alaska. Then in 2044, a total solar eclipse will cross Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, parts of Canada and Greenland.

The next total solar eclipse to cross the continental U.S. coast-to-coast in will occur in 2045. The path of totality for that eclipse will cut through California, Nevada, Utah, Colorado, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Kansas, Texas, Arkansas, Missouri, Mississippi, Louisiana, Alabama, Georgia and Florida.

Denise Chow is a reporter for NBC News Science focused on general science and climate change.

Lucas Thompson is a content producer for the NBC News Climate Unit.

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How to avoid slips trips and falls

COMMENTS

How to Fall Safely: 12 Steps (with Pictures)
1. Protect your head. The most important body part that you need to protect in a fall is your head. [1] Head injuries can be very serious, even deadly. Make sure you prioritize protecting your head as you fall by properly positioning it. [2] Tuck your your chin down, lowering your head.
10 Symptoms to Look for After a Fall
Back pain can occur after even a minor fall, especially if you already have underlying conditions. However, if you experience increased back or neck pain, seek medical attention and a full evaluation to ensure you have not suffered more serious injury than you think. 2. You experience sudden, sharp pain.
Who is Liable for Trip and Fall Injuries?
An attorney will inform you of your legal rights and obligations under your state's laws regarding your trip and fall case. Finally, an attorney will be able to initiate a lawsuit on your behalf, and will also be able to represent you in court, as needed. Municipalities may be responsible for trip and fall lawsuits.
Differences Between Trip and Fall and Slip and Fall Claims
In legal terms, "trip and fall" describes a different type of incident with a different type of injury. The differences can change your legal claim. Slip and falls are caused by slick surfaces and victims usually fall backward. Trip and falls are caused by obstacles that trip up a person and make them fall forward or to the side.
Does It Matter Whether I Fell Backward or Forward?
Similarly, your case can also be strengthened or weakened depending upon whether you fell backward or forward. The idea is one of consistency - some dangerous defects like ice and snow usually result in a person slipping backward; obstructions and rises in elevation, on the other hand, usually cause a person to trip forward.
Slip & Fall and Trip & Fall Accidents: Similarities & Differences
Trip & Fall Accidents. A trip & fall accident happens when someone trips on an object and can't bring their back leg forward quick enough to stop them from tumbling. Just about any object obstructing a walkway can cause a person to trip. Common culprits of trip & falls include: Items left on the floor (e.g., boxes, toys, tools) Uneven sidewalks
Know the Difference Between Slip & Fall and Trip & Fall Accidents
The lawyer you choose will have a significant impact on the outcome of your case. At Steinberg Injury Lawyers, our seasoned attorneys have extensive experience handling slip and fall injury cases just like yours. Contact us today at 1-800-350-8888 for a free, no obligation evaluation of your case. Peter Steinberg.
Slips, Trips and Falls
A fall can end in death or disability in a split second, but with a few simple precautions, you'll be sure stay safe at home and at work. The second leading cause of unintentional injury-related death is falls, resulting in 42,114 deaths at home and at work. Depending on the industry, falls can be the leading cause of death at work.
A Trip or Fall Can Cause Painful Back Injuries
It's fairly common for a victim of a slip and fall accident to suffer minor pain at first, only to have their back injury progress rapidly over time. It doesn't matter how small the trip or fall was—any fall has the potential to cause a serious back injury, including: Spinal fractures. A break or dislocation of the spine is a serious and ...
Fall Prevention: 9 Ways to Avoid Slips, Trips, and Falls
Many different types of assistive devices can help prevent falls or trips. They can also reduce a fall's severity or complications if any happen. Assistive devices for fall prevention can include: supportive tools while up and about, such as: canes; walkers; transportable seaters; grab bars or rails in areas such as: doorways
Preventing Falls in Aging: Why They Happen & What to Do
Recognize risky situations, and take steps to avoid them, Know which medical conditions — and which medications — to ask your doctors to look into, Understand what may have caused a specific fall, which can help you avoid future falls. In other words, learning why older people fall means that you'll be able to figure out why YOUR older ...
PDF How to prevent slips, trips and falls
"A fall can rob you of your independence." But falls don't have to happen. "There are a ... A trip on a sharp corner. Falls can happen fast and without warning. The good news: Small changes can make a ... a wall behind you in case you fall backwards," says Glatt. 1. Stand with your feet a few inches
Causes of falls
Falls are usually caused by an interaction of a number of risk factors. The more risk factors you have, the greater your risk of falling. Falls prevention is about recognising, and where possible, taking action to reduce the risk. If you experience any, or a combination, of the following you could be at an increased risk:
Falling Safely: How To Fall To Prevent Injury
Step 4: Keep falling. Your instinct will be to stop your body as quickly as you can. But your safest route is to keep rolling — indeed, the more you give in to the fall, the safer it will be. "Spread the impact across a larger part of your body; don't concentrate impact on one area," Marcigliano says. The more you roll with the fall, the ...
10 Common Back/Spinal Injuries from Slip and Fall Accidents
Every year, millions of people are injured in Slip and Fall Accidents that result in back and spinal injuries. These accidents can happen at any location, including at home. The incidence of becoming injured due to a slip, trip or fall accident is very high in people who are over age 65. About one third of that population falls, although most ...
How to fall without injury
You can't always avoid a fall, but you can reduce the injury it may cause. Plan for a soft landing. Simple trips over curbs or small objects—often our own shoes or clothing—are common occurrences. Aside from taking the steps to prevent them, when you feel yourself going down, you can take control of your fall.
Trip and Fall vs. Slip and Fall: What's The Difference?
In trip and fall accidents, you tend to fall facedown. While slip and fall accidents tend to send you falling backward. So if you're claiming a hip injury because you tripped and fell, it doesn't exactly add up. I mean, if you're falling forward, you'll likely hurt your face or arms more than your hips.
Back to Basics: Slips, Trips, and Falls
How much are workplace slips, trips, and falls costing you? "Falls on the same level" often get lumped together with falls from height in slips, trips, and falls. While falls from height can sometimes be fatal, falls on the same level can lead to costly nonfatal injuries, resulting in several days away from work for injured workers and ...
Defining 'Tripped': The Cause-and-Effect Relationships Within a Fall
Trip-and-fall is a cause-and-effect relationship shown in Figure 1 (below). The question, "Why did the person fall?" is answered with "Because the person tripped." The effect is on the left, the cause is on right, as is the convention on all Cause Map™ diagrams. The Why questions build the incident analysis backwards. The ...
How to Prevent Slips, Trips, and Falls
Workers can navigate through spaces better if there is enough light. Given this, it's best to place proper lighting in access and egress points such as halls, ramps, stairs, and exits. 3. Install safety signs. Safety signs and markers are a must in preventing slips, trips, and falls.
Older Adults and Falls: Why It Happens More Often As You Age
3 min read. Falls happen often among older adults over the age of 65. Every year, 3 million older adults are treated in emergency departments for injuries related to falling. With over 800,000 ...
Walking Backward Can Improve Joints, Arthritis and Overall Health
Greater quad activity causes the knee to stretch more, which can help alleviate knee pain and reduce muscle tightness. Importantly, walking backward relieves pressure on the inner side of the knee ...
8 Tips for Planning Your Solar Eclipse Trip
Protect your eyes. During the build up towards the solar eclipse, many people like to observe the sun to watch as the moon slowly covers more and more of it. However, if you want to view this ...
Solar eclipse 2024 explained: Times it's visible, path of totality, why
The eclipse's path fortuitously cuts across Mexico, 15 U.S. states and a small part of eastern Canada. In all other states in the continental U.S., viewers will be treated to a partial solar ...
White House's Sullivan, recovering from cracked rib, postpones Saudi trip
White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan has postponed plans to travel to Saudi Arabia this week as he recovers from a cracked rib following a minor accident, the White House said on ...