Even though stairs have been around for roughly 5,000 years, they have not changed much. This is because the design of staircases works perfectly, allowing you to climb to a higher level or traverse steep terrain quickly and easily. Still, stairs are not exactly free from danger.
According to Amstep Products, falls on staircases cause about 1 million injuries and 12,000 deaths every single year. While a fall on level ground certainly can result in serious injuries, a fall on a stairway has the potential to cause catastrophic damage to your body.
Multiple points of contact
If you fall down a staircase, gravity is likely to pull you to the bottom eventually, but you might not land first at the bottom of the stairs. Indeed, you might bounce off of multiple surfaces until you reach a flat one. Put simply, each surface your body touches can injure you.
A longer falling distance
When you are on flat flooring, the maximum distance you can fall is probably only a couple of feet. That is not the case with stairs, of course. If you are on a tall staircase, you might fall upwards of 10 or 15 feet before hitting the bottom.
A restricted space
Many staircases have walls on either side, giving you only a few inches on either side of your body. If you fall on this type of staircase, your body has insufficient room to fall freely. That is, the restricted space can cause your body to contort in potentially dangerous ways.
Ultimately, because it can be virtually impossible to emerge from a stairway fall without suffering some type of injury, pursuing financial compensation may allow you to obtain the medical care you need to recover fully.