Falls from heights

What Are Falls from Heights?

A fall from height means falling from a place that’s above the ground. That could be a ladder, a roof, a loading dock, a stairway, or even a window. Some falls are short, like a couple of feet. Others are from high above, like a construction scaffold or an apartment balcony.

No matter the height, these kinds of falls can be dangerous. People often get badly hurt. Sometimes, they can’t work anymore. In the worst cases, people don’t survive.

Why Are These Falls So Serious?

Falling from a height adds more impact. The higher the fall, the harder you land. You may not land flat or even on your feet. People often hit their head, back, or neck. Sometimes they hit objects on the way down.

Here’s what makes these falls worse than other kinds of accidents:

They happen fast
There's little time to react
Landing wrong can cause major injuries
You might land on hard or sharp surfaces
If there’s no safety gear, there’s nothing to stop the fall

That’s why safety rules exist. They’re supposed to protect people—especially at work or in public places.

Where Do These Falls Usually Happen?

Falls from heights can happen almost anywhere, but some places are more common than others.

Construction Sites

These are one of the top places where falls happen. Workers might fall off roofs, scaffolding, ladders, or lifts.

Warehouses

In warehouses, people sometimes fall off loading docks or while stacking goods on high shelves.

Homes

Falls can happen while cleaning gutters, putting up decorations, or fixing the roof.

Apartment Buildings

People may fall from balconies, stairways, or badly built fire escapes.

Offices and Public Buildings

These falls might happen on staircases with no railings or floors with no warning signs.

Parking Garages

People can fall if railings are too low or edges are not blocked off properly.

Falls in any of these places can be deadly—and often, they could’ve been avoided.

Types of Injuries from Falling

Falls from a height often cause serious injuries because of the force of the landing. Some people recover quickly. Others never fully recover.

Common injuries include:

Broken arms, legs, ribs, and hips
Head injuries, including concussions and skull fractures
Brain injuries that can change memory or mood
Neck and spine damage
Back pain or slipped discs
Paralysis (not being able to move part of your body)
Internal bleeding
Long-term pain
Emotional trauma, anxiety, or depression

Some injuries need surgery or months of therapy. Others may cause permanent disability.

What Causes These Falls?

Falls can happen for lots of reasons. But many times, they’re caused by someone not doing their job to keep things safe.

Here are some common causes:

No safety railings
Broken or missing guardrails
Wet or slippery surfaces
Unstable ladders or scaffolding
Floors or stairs in bad shape
No fall protection gear (like harnesses)
Poor lighting
No warning signs
Gaps or holes in walking areas
Unsafe platforms

A property owner, boss, or contractor is usually supposed to fix these problems. If they don’t, people get hurt.

Real-Life Examples

Construction Site Fall

A roofer was working without a harness. He slipped on a wet tile and fell 15 feet. He broke his pelvis and couldn’t walk for months. His employer didn’t follow safety rules.

Parking Garage Fall

A man tripped near the edge of a garage where a barrier was missing. He fell one story onto the concrete. His injuries kept him from working, and he needed back surgery.

Apartment Balcony Collapse

A woman leaned on an old railing. It broke, and she fell to the ground. The building owner had ignored earlier reports about the loose railing.

All of these stories are real. All of them involved someone failing to do their job to keep people safe.

Who’s Responsible for the Fall?

That depends on where the fall happened. Usually, someone is legally responsible for making sure the area was safe.

That might be:

A business owner
A landlord
A construction company
A manager
A government agency
A building contractor
A property maintenance team
An employer

If they didn’t fix a known danger or follow safety rules, they can be held legally responsible.

What the Law Says

There are laws that require property owners and employers to keep areas safe. This is called a duty of care. If someone breaks this duty, and a person gets hurt, that’s called negligence.

To win a case, you usually have to show:

The other person had a duty to keep the place safe
They didn’t do that
That failure caused the fall
You got hurt because of it

That’s where a serious injury lawyer can help.

How a Serious Injury Lawyer Can Help

A lawyer who works with injury cases knows how to figure out what went wrong and who’s at fault. They can help you with things like:

Investigating the fall
Collecting photos or videos
Talking to witnesses
Looking into past safety problems
Getting expert help to prove fault
Reviewing your medical records
Talking to insurance companies
Filing legal paperwork
Representing you in court if needed

They make sure your case is handled the right way from start to finish.

What Kind of Money Can You Get?

If your injury was caused by someone else’s mistake, you may be able to get money for:

Medical bills
Surgeries or rehab
Lost wages
Future income if you can’t work
Pain and suffering
Emotional stress
Help at home
Travel to appointments
Equipment like crutches or a wheelchair
Changes to your home if you’re now disabled

A serious injury can change your life. You deserve help if someone else caused it.

What to Do After a Fall from a Height

If you fall and get hurt, here’s what you should do:

Get medical care right away. Even if you feel okay, injuries can show up later.
Take pictures of the scene. Show where you fell and what caused it.
Get names and numbers of witnesses. Anyone who saw the fall may help your case.
Report the fall. Tell the boss, landlord, or manager what happened.
Write down everything. Include time, place, how you fell, and how you felt afterward.
Save medical records and bills. These will help prove your case.
Talk to a lawyer. Don’t sign anything from insurance companies before getting advice.

What If You Were Hurt at Work?

If you were on the job, you may qualify for workers' compensation. This helps cover medical bills and lost wages. But sometimes, you may also have a case outside of workers' comp—like if your boss didn’t provide safety gear, or another company caused the fall.

A lawyer can help you figure out which kind of case is best.

Can You Still File If It Was Partly Your Fault?

Yes. In most states, if you were only partly responsible, you can still get some money. This is called comparative fault.

Here’s how it works:

You’re 30% at fault
The property owner is 70% at fault
If you win $10,000, you still get $7,000

The amount gets reduced by your share of the blame, but you can still get help.

What If the Fall Happened on Public Property?

If you fell on a city sidewalk or government building, the rules are different. You may need to file a notice of claim very quickly—sometimes in just 30 to 90 days. After that, you may be able to file a lawsuit.

A lawyer who’s worked on these kinds of cases will know what deadlines to watch out for.

How Long Do You Have to File a Case?

This depends on the state you live in. Most personal injury cases need to be filed within 1 to 3 years from the date of the injury. For government property, the deadline is much shorter.

It’s best to talk to a lawyer as soon as possible so you don’t miss your chance.

How to Stay Safe Around Heights

While some accidents can’t be avoided, here are some tips to protect yourself:

Don’t lean on weak railings or edges
Use handrails when going up or down stairs
Wear proper shoes with grip
Don’t rush or carry too much at once
Use a stable ladder—never a chair
Ask for safety gear if you need to work at heights
Report loose boards, missing rails, or poor lighting
Don’t work at height alone

Staying alert can help. But it’s not your job to fix safety problems. That’s up to the people responsible.

FINAL THOUGHTS

Falls from heights are one of the most dangerous types of accidents. They can cause serious injuries and even death. And many of them never should’ve happened.

When someone fails to follow safety rules—like a boss, a landlord, or a property manager—people get hurt. If this happened to you or someone you love, a serious injury lawyer can help.

You deserve answers. You deserve support. And if someone else caused your fall, you deserve justice.

Alpha Book Publisher