We glorify heart, the tenacity to forge ahead no matter the personal suffering. Lewis and Clarke are heroes for their ceaseless push westward, even as their supplies dwindled and all looked lost. Though tragic, we can’t help but connect with the ardent, unquenchable passion between Romeo and Juliet. Little Frodo could not have become the cultural icon he is without his gritty determination. Yet despite this valorization, it isn’t wise to hustle and heart you way through day-to-day life if you’ve suffered a motor vehicle injury (or any other injury, for that matter). An Ontario personal injury lawyer will tell you that pushing through an injury is the best way to put yourself in even worse shape. It’s better to limit exposure to activity-limiting injury on the whole.
Activity-Limiting Injury in Canada
In 2009, personal injury was the leading cause of death amongst children and young adults and was among the leading causes of serious injury (i.e. injuries requiring hospitalization) in Canada. About a decade ago, the estimated cost of personal injury was 19.8 billion dollars. That figure includes both direct costs (e.g. ambulances, doctors, health care facilities, etc.) and indirect costs (e.g. lost workers, supplementary aid, etc.) Of course, activity-limiting injuries need not be severe injuries leading to death or hospitalization: they can include things like sprains, strains, cuts, contusions, burns, and broken bones. Their only requirement is that they prevent the sufferer from carrying on with their everyday routines, whether work, school, or household chores.
Activity-Limiting Injury Statistics
Each year, approximately 4 million Canadians aged 12 and older, or about 14 percent of the population, experience an activity limiting injury based on the definition above.
- Gender
- Males are somewhat more prone to these injuries than females, at about 16 percent to 12 percent respectively. Interestingly, the gap between the two sexes has held steady over time.
- Nature of Injury
- Falls are the most common cause of activity-limiting injury. However, contrasting the stat above, females are far more likely to suffer injuries from falls than men (approximately 46 percent to 36 percent).
- Elderly people, or those aged 65 and over, are the most likely demographic to experience an injury from a fall, at 67 percent.
- Activities that Cause Injury
- Sports are the most common cause of injury overall, at approximately 33 percent of total injuries. 40 percent of male and 27 percent of female activity-limiting injury occurs from sports accidents.
Of the people who suffered an activity-limiting injury, only about half received medical treatment within two days. As an Ontario personal injury lawyer knows, this is an unwise decision, especially if your injury was ultimately the result of another’s negligence. Consult with an Ontario personal injury lawyer after any activity-limiting injury—be it a sprain from a slip and fall or a broken bone in a car accident—to see if you can collect any compensation. Call for a free consultation today, and rest easy that your lost income and suffering aren’t all for naught.
Source:
http://www.statcan.gc.ca/pub/82-625-x/2010002/article/11272-eng.htm