While analyzing the causes of these falls, we may infer that most of them are caused by being careless or clumsy, steeping on objects or due to defective, uneven or slippery surfaces. These are only assumptions and other causes like friction between the shoes and the surface, environmental distractions and physical or mental functional limitations of the victim are seemingly ignored by most personal injury investigators in slip and trip accidents
Walking Mechanics: Kinesiology is the study of energy applied to motion. This science provides a method to analyze moving patterns. All human movement can be measured and recorded. As we already know, all human movement occurs by expansion and contraction of muscles which are attached to bones and joints. The movement is facilitated by the use of leverage (as in physics). Understanding these levers that the body uses helps to understand the injuries and deformities caused as a result of an accident. All movement operates around the centre of gravity, and the centre of gravity of a human body lies approximately at the level of 55% of the height from the bottom, more or less at the centre of the body.
The centre of gravity swings left and right when we walk depending upon the leg being swung at that point of time along with the transfer of weight from the trailing leg forward creating the momentum to aid the walking motion. The whole process can be divided into four steps - propulsion, swing, and catch and support.
Walking is a motor skill and walking patterns are distinctive from person to person. These may be inherent graces or caused to factors like flat footedness etc. Walking is an art of keeping your centre of gravity at the optimum area, also called keeping your balance. Once the centre of gravity moves out of your bodys physical area for a prolonged period of time, you tend to lose your balance and fall.
All of us walk intrusively, since walking is a motor skill and is imbibed. We do not need any kind of concentration to keep walking, as a result of which our mind wanders to various thoughts. However, the observation required to make our walk smoother and avoid obstacles is not a motor skill. So we tend to lose our concentration and powers of observation due to preoccupancy with the thought process, we tend to get involved in a slip and trip accidents.
Falls can be classified into the following four categories:
1. Trip-and-fall accidents caused due to encountering a foreign obstacle or object in the walking path.
2. Stump-and-fall accidents caused when a moving foot comes across an impediment on the surface, which could be a tacky point or a defect that impedes the foot.
3. Step-and-fall accidents caused when the foot finds an unexpected failure, void or hole in the walking surface.
4. Slip and trip accidents caused when the contact between the sole of the shoe and the floor fails to lend support to the walker's center of gravity.
Most common amongst the above is the slip and fall accident.
Investigation:
Investigators of injuries caused by falls should be knowledgeable in the principles of human movement and should have working knowledge of floor materials, cleaning methods, and lighting. During the reconstruction of a slip-and-fall accident, investigators should not come to any conclusion too quickly. Extensive interviews of the victim should form the basis o the investigation. Measurement of slip resistance of the floor in question is essential along with the accurate measurements of the light intensity and contrast.
In all cases, the findings should be compared against the building codes and industry standards. Although they seem to be the simplest of all slip and trip accidents, falls are anything but simple. |
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