Injuries Sustained in Canada: Trends and Patterns
There’s no such thing as one type of injury. “Injury” is a broad category, impacting people of all demographics and encompassing diverse events and severities. It can seem strange to group a 12- year-old boy’s scraped knee from a soccer mishap and a 72-year-old woman’s broken hip from a fall in the shower under the same term. Such is the difficulty in amassing and assessing data on personal injuries. Nonetheless, Statistics Canada has taken pains (pun very much intended) to collect figures on common injuries in Canada, who they affect most, and which injuries are most severe. A personal injury lawsuit can deal with all types injuries, indiscriminately. No matter how you’ve been injured, if you’ve suffered as a result of negligence, a personal injury lawsuit can help.
Who Gets Injured Most?
One of the key difficulties in injury data is reporting. Many less severe injuries are never treated at a medical facility, and thus evade Statistics Canada. Regardless, the best information available posits that, in 2010, an estimated 4.7 million Canadians above the age of 12 sustained an injury severe enough to limit their usual activities. This represents 15 percent of Canadians within that age range.
- Age
- People between ages 12 and 19 are most likely to be injured, at 27 percent—more than twice as high as other age groups.
- Gender
- In general, males are more likely to be injured than females, by about 5 percent. However, the ratios shift depending on demographic.
- Adolescent males are more likely to be injured than adolescent females (at 30 percent to 23 percent, respectively).
- Among ages 65 and older, though, females are slightly more likely to be injured than males (approximately 10 percent to 7 percent, respectively).
How Do Injuries Usually Occur?
By percentage, the most common way for injuries to occur in Canada is as a result of sports or exercise, at 35 percent. The causes of injuries vary significantly according to demographic, however.
- Sports and Exercise
- Two-thirds of injuries sustained by people aged 12 to 19 occur as a result of sports and exercise.
- In comparison, less than half of that number (29 percent) of working-age adults and seven times fewer (9 percent) elderly adults sustain injuries in this way.
- Slips, Falls, and Everyday Activities
- Unsurprisingly, seniors are injured as a result of falls during everyday activities more often than the general population.
- Household chores and walking account for over half of injuries to seniors, at 27 and 28 percent respectively.
How Severe Are the Injuries?
Fortunately, the vast majority of injuries to Canadians are non-lethal, with lethal injuries accounting for about 10,250 incidents in 2010 (as compared to 4.7 million total injuries). The most common injuries are sprains and strains, which account for 51 percent of all incidents. Broken bones are next most common, yet hardly compare at a meager 17 percent.
A Personal Injury Claim Lawyer Knows the Stats
It doesn’t matter who you are, how you were injured, or what injury you have, an experienced personal injury lawsuit will help to get you the compensation you need. If you’ve been injured as the result of negligence, an Ontario law firm can be your best resource. Look for a free personal injury consultation at the best accident firm today.
Sources:
http://www.statcan.gc.ca/pub/82-624-x/2011001/article/11506-eng.htm
http://www.statcan.gc.ca/pub/84-215-x/2012001/table-tableau/tbl001-eng.htm
http://www.statcan.gc.ca/pub/82-624-x/2011001/article/app/11506-03-app3-eng.htm