If you’re like most people, you probably have an instinct to try to land on your feet when you fall. Perhaps you’ve heard that cats land on their feet way too many times and believe this is an effective way to break your fall.
If you’re a construction worker, you should know that landing on your feet is actually very risky. You could fracture your ankles from the impact of landing on the ground from a significant height.
Landing on your feet is risky
Unlike cats, the human body isn’t designed to absorb the impact of falling from a great height. In fact, even jumping for a seemingly short distance and landing on your feet can generate a significant force that your body isn’t engineered to absorb.
The joints throughout your lower body, like your knees, are vulnerable during such falls. If the impact is forceful enough, you could even fracture your spine and suffer significant ligament damage. Further, due to humans’ body design, the force upon landing on one’s feet is transmitted up the body, causing unimaginable damage to the skeletal form.
Unfortunately, even if you learn the right way to fall, you can still suffer severe injuries at a construction site. The body part that hits the ground first will determine how the impact force will be distributed throughout your body. The landing surface and the height of the fall will determine the severity of your injuries.
Suppose you fall from a great height at a construction site due to faulty equipment. In that case, you can pursue legal action against the equipment manufacturer. A third-party liability lawsuit can help ensure you secure some financial relief for your recovery.