Desert terrain can increase the risk of slip-and-fall injuries

The Phoenix area has a beautiful desert landscape. But the individual pieces of the landscape can lead to accidents.

Rocks and sand, for example, can cause pedestrians to lose their footing and fall in awkward and often painful ways. Homeowners and business owners must do their best to keep errant landscape elements from seeping out onto walkways and driveways, but it is no easy task.

The injuries people sustain from falls can range from minor scrapes to life-threatening injuries. Here are common injuries that outdoor falls can cause. 

Sprains and bone fractures 

To stop a fall, it is a reflex to put out a hand. When people do this, the wrist absorbs a majority of the impact. The most common result is either a wrist sprain or a bone fracture. The weight, height and age of the person may contribute to the severity of the injury. The older the person, the more likely the bone is to fracture. Ankles and knees are also prone to breaking in an outdoor accident. 

Head trauma 

Desert stone and sand are slippery and may cause a person’s feet to go right out from underneath him or her. These types of falls may result in the head impacting the ground. When this happens, there is a chance of head trauma. Anytime the brain suffers from an injury, a person must go through rigorous testing to ensure there is no sign of a traumatic brain injury. 

For further information on the repercussions of a slip and fall, follow the link to our website. 

How long does it take to recover from a brain injury?

f you have suffered a brain injury or know somebody who has, you may have questions about recovery.

Is it possible to recover from a brain injury, especially a severe one? This is not an easy question to answer because the effects of brain injuries differ. You might recover fully, or your recovery might be slow and yield only slight progress.

Rapid recovery

Generally, the greatest rate of recovery occurs in the first six months following the injury. You will likely see rapid improvement in areas like motor function and your ability to concentrate. Your recovery, however, depends on many factors. With the passage of time, the rate of your recovery will diminish.

Later recovery

After the first six months, your improvement will depend on your personal circumstances. Your health history before the injury, your age, and your level of activity before your injury could affect how you recover.

In some cases, recovery hits a plateau. You might not be able to go back to your old job. You might have persistent problems with thinking or concentrating. You might be able to drive with some accommodations, or you may not be able to drive at all. In some cases, people do not recover enough to live alone or live without some form of assistance.

A lifetime process

While it may be possible to recover completely from a brain injury, for many people recovery is a lifetime process. To achieve the best quality of life possible, you may need to adjust your current circumstances, such as where you live and where you work.

Driving sleepy is as bad as driving drunk

There is no doubt that driving is a risky activity. Accidents occur everyday on Arizona roadways. You may pride yourself on being a good driver, though. You never drink and drive or use your cellphone while behind the wheel. You follow the speed limit and obey all road laws. You may be cautious and drive carefully to avoid ever ending up in a car accident.

Did you know, though, that not getting enough sleep the night before could put your morning commute at risk? Time explains that driving when drowsy is about as dangerous as driving when drunk.

A lack of sleep

Obviously, the amount of sleepiness you feel will determine your overall risk of an accident. To be comparable to a drunk driver, you would need to have less than five hours of sleep the night before. Even missing just one hour of sleep, though, could increase your risks.

You should get at least seven hours of sleep per night. If you do not, it impacts your body and brain. You function at a lower level, even if you can not recognize it yourself.

The big risk

While you may very well adjust to missing an hour or two of sleep per night and drive just fine, if you are sleeping only five hours in a 24-hour period, then you are at the biggest risk. You are not safe to get behind the wheel. It would be the same impairment level as being legally drunk.

Any sleep-deprived individual who gets behind the wheel has the potential to cause a serious or fatal accident. A drunk driver may at least try to slow down in response to an unexpected traffic situation. However, a driver who is asleep may drift into oncoming traffic or slam into the car ahead without ever hitting the brakes.

What affects the number of car accidents in Arizona

The increase of urbanization has led more drivers on the roadways thus increasing the chance of an injury-related accident in Arizona. Certain times of days, months of the year and roadway conditions affect the number and frequency of accidents. These conditions also affect the amount resulting in fatalities and injuries.

The Arizona Department of Transportation issues an annual crash report. For 2018, there were 916 fatal crashes out of a total of 127,056 in the state. The month of October and Friday afternoons between 4PM – 5PM are the peak times for accidents. Fatal accidents tend to occur most often on Saturdays and between 8PM – 9PM. Speeding seems to be the most common reason for the accident to occur.

An injury caused from a driver speeding or drunk can cause problems for the victim years after the initial accident. With 28.73% of all accidents resulting in injuries, about 7% have suspected serious injuries. The number of injury crashes has gone down since the peak in 2016. With the highest urban population in the Phoenix area, there are naturally more crashes in the area.

The Population Reference Bureau says that worldwide the number of road traffic accidents has increased. Driver impairment including being tired, alcohol influenced, excess speeds, compromised visibility and drug influence can negatively affect the driver’s ability to avoid an accident.

The PRB site’s rapid population growth, poor road maintenance, poor road conditions and rapid motorization as key barriers to decreasing motor vehicle injuries and fatalities. Keeping drivers aware of what causes accidents can help decrease the number of motor-vehicle injuries.

Sharing details about your accident with others

In the wake of a motor vehicle collision, there are a lot of different issues that people should be aware of, especially if they are contemplating the possibility of taking legal action. For example, it is imperative for victims to have a solid understanding of the various consequences that a crash may have brought into their lives, and some of these consequences (such as a brain injury) may not be immediately clear until some point in the future. Moreover, people should be aware of what they share regarding the accident and the challenges they are facing, especially when it comes to online activity.

Motor vehicle crash victims may feel compelled to share information online for multiple reasons. They may be looking for support from some of their friends, family members and even complete strangers. Although the internet can be a great tool when it comes to bringing people together and creating communities, it can also be very disruptive as a result of trolls and others who may want to bring someone down. For example, sharing certain details online could have a negative impact on a court case centered around a crash.

It is smart to avoid posting anything that could be used against you online, and you should also watch what you say around others (especially people who may support the person who caused the wreck). Information can be taken out of context and twisted, and certain posts have been used against victims in the courtroom before. Read through our website to learn more about motor vehicle crash consequences and legal options.

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