Slip, Trip, and Fall Statistics You Need to Know

Key Takeaways

• Falls, slips, and trips caused 844 fatal workplace injuries nationwide in 2024, the second leading cause of occupational death behind transportation incidents (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics).
• New York State recorded 49 fall-related workplace fatalities in 2024, or 23 percent of all workplace deaths in the state, well above the 17 percent national share (BLS).
• New York City recorded 19 fall-related workplace fatalities in 2023, the most recent year reported, tied for the leading cause of workplace death in the city at 28 percent (BLS).
• More than 14 million adults aged 65 and older, or 1 in 4, report falling every year nationwide, and falls are the leading cause of injury for this age group (CDC).
• New York property owners can be held legally responsible for injuries caused by hazardous conditions they knew about, or should have discovered through reasonable inspection.

Slips, trips, and falls are among the most common causes of injury in New York City, affecting residents, commuters, and visitors alike. Understanding the true scope of these incidents, backed by current data rather than assumptions, is essential both for preventing them and for protecting your legal rights if you are hurt.

A slick grocery store floor, an uneven sidewalk slab, a poorly lit stairwell, or a cluttered office hallway can turn an ordinary walk into a serious injury in an instant. The statistics below draw on the most recent data available from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), including New York-specific figures that are often missing from general safety overviews.

What Are the Risks of Slips, Trips, and Falls in New York City?

New York City’s dense sidewalks, crowded subway stations, and aging building stock create hazards that are less common in lower-density areas. Uneven pavement, sidewalk cave-ins, wet floors, construction scaffolding and sidewalk sheds, debris, and poor lighting all contribute to dangerous conditions that can lead to serious injury.

Under New York City Administrative Code section 7-210, most property owners, not the city, are responsible for keeping the sidewalk in front of their property in a reasonably safe condition. When a property owner or business fails to maintain safe conditions, and someone is hurt as a result, that owner may be held liable under New York premises liability laws, which are designed to protect victims and hold negligent parties accountable.

2025 Statistics on Slips, Trips, and Falls

The most current data available comes from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics’ 2024 Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries, released in February 2026, along with the CDC’s ongoing tracking of older adult falls. Together, they paint a clearer picture than national averages alone, particularly for New York.

Fatal Workplace Injuries Nationwide

Nationwide, there were 5,070 fatal work injuries in 2024. Falls, slips, and trips accounted for 844 of those deaths, a decrease of 4.6 percent from 885 in 2023, but still the second leading cause of fatal occupational injury behind transportation incidents, which accounted for 1,937 deaths. Of the fatal falls recorded in 2024, 10.8 percent involved a worker falling from a height greater than 30 feet.

Fatalities in New York State and New York City

New York tells a somewhat different story than the national picture. The state recorded 217 total fatal work injuries in 2024, of which 49, or 23 percent, resulted from falls, slips, and trips, a notably higher share than the 17 percent national average reported by the National Safety Council for the same year. In New York City specifically, the most recent data available covers 2023, when the city recorded 69 total workplace fatalities, 19 of which, or 28 percent, were caused by falls, slips, and trips, tying falls with other leading causes as the single largest category of workplace death in the city. Twelve of the city’s 24 construction sector fatalities that year involved a fall.

2024 Fatal Occupational Fall, Slip, and Trip Injuries

Emergency Room Visits and Nonfatal Injuries

Beyond workplace fatalities, falls are a major driver of nonfatal injury and emergency room visits across all age groups and settings, not just on the job. The Bureau of Labor Statistics separately tracks nonfatal injuries requiring days away from work, and falls, slips, and trips accounted for roughly 479,480 such cases in the most recent reporting period, out of 888,100 total nonfatal days-away-from-work cases across private industry.

Older adults bear a disproportionate share of the burden. According to the CDC, more than 14 million adults aged 65 and older, or 1 in 4, report falling every year, and falls are the leading cause of injury for this age group. About 37 percent of those who fall report an injury serious enough to require medical treatment or to limit their activity for at least a day, adding up to an estimated 9 million fall-related injuries among older adults annually.

Main Causes of Slips, Trips, and Falls in NYC

In New York City, the most common causes of slip, trip, and fall accidents include:

• Wet or icy sidewalks, stoops, and building entryways
• Poorly maintained or unevenly lit staircases
• Loose, torn, or uneven flooring and carpeting
• Sidewalk cave-ins, cracked pavement, and unmarked construction sheds
• Cluttered store aisles, subway platforms, and public walkways

Public spaces such as subway stations and apartment building lobbies see especially high foot traffic, which increases both the likelihood of a hazard going unaddressed and the number of people exposed to it.

Workplace Statistics

Falls remain a significant concern in the workplace. As the national and New York data above show, slips, trips, and falls are the second leading cause of fatal occupational injury nationwide, and an even larger share of workplace deaths in New York specifically. These incidents are particularly prevalent in construction and building maintenance, industries that make up a meaningful share of New York City’s fatal fall cases. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) emphasizes fall prevention programs, regular inspections, and worker training as the primary means of reducing these risks.

These figures are more than background context. In an actual slip, trip, or fall case, official data of this kind can help establish that a hazard was foreseeable, that an industry or location carries a known elevated risk, or that a property owner was on notice of common seasonal hazards such as ice and snow. Attorneys frequently rely on this kind of documented, sourced statistic, along with site-specific evidence, when building a claim.

Which Demographics Face the Highest Risk?

Certain groups face a meaningfully higher risk of severe injury or death from falls. Older adults are the clearest example: age-related changes in balance, muscle strength, bone density, and vision all increase the likelihood of a fall and that it will result in a serious injury, such as a hip fracture. New York City, with one of the largest populations of older adults among U.S. cities, mirrors this national pattern closely.

Women are also more likely than men to suffer fractures in a fall, particularly hip fractures, due to differences in average bone density. People with certain medical conditions, including Parkinson’s disease, diabetes, and conditions affecting balance or vision, face elevated risk as well.

Workers in construction and building maintenance face a disproportionate occupational risk, as reflected in the New York City fatality data above, where 12 of the city’s 24 construction sector fatalities in 2023 involved a fall. Workers who spend significant time on scaffolding, ladders, or elevated surfaces—common conditions on New York City job sites—face an outsized share of this risk compared to workers in most other industries.

How New York Premises Liability Law Protects Fall Victims

New York premises liability law does not make a property owner automatically responsible every time someone falls on their property. To hold an owner or manager liable, an injured person generally must show that a hazardous condition existed, that the owner knew about it or should have discovered it through reasonable inspection (often called actual or constructive notice), and that the owner failed to fix it or warn visitors within a reasonable time. This standard of care traces back to long-established New York case law, including the New York Court of Appeals decision in Basso v. Miller, which established the modern duty a landowner owes to people lawfully on their property.

New York also follows a pure comparative negligence rule, meaning an injured person can still recover compensation even if they were partly at fault for the fall, though any award is reduced by their percentage of fault. Deadlines matter as well. Most personal injury lawsuits in New York must be filed within three years of the accident under New York’s statute of limitations, but claims against a city agency, such as one arising from a defective public sidewalk maintained by the city rather than a private owner, generally require a notice of claim within 90 days, a far shorter window that makes prompt legal advice important.

Compensation in a successful slip-and-fall claim can include both economic damages, such as medical bills, lost wages, and future treatment costs, and non-economic damages for pain and suffering. New York does not impose a general cap on non-economic damages in premises liability cases. A narrow damages cap added to New York’s Insurance Law in 2026 applies only to certain at-fault motor vehicle claims and does not extend to slip, trip, and fall cases arising on someone else’s property.

The financial and emotional impact on families after a serious or fatal fall can be significant, from medical bills and lost income to long-term care and emotional distress. Wrongful death claims may be available when a fall is caused by unsafe conditions and negligence, and can provide compensation for medical expenses, funeral costs, and loss of future income.

Steps to Protect Your Rights After a Fall in New York City

If you are injured in a slip, trip, or fall in New York City, a few steps can help protect both your health and your legal rights:

• Seek medical attention right away, even if the injury seems minor at first. This protects your health and creates a medical record connecting the injury to the fall.
• Report the incident to the property owner, manager, or building staff as soon as possible, and ask for a written incident report if one is available.
• Preserve evidence, including photos or video of the hazard, your injuries, and the surrounding area, along with the names and contact information of any witnesses.
• Keep track of medical treatment, missed work, and out-of-pocket expenses related to the injury.
• Speak with an attorney promptly, particularly if the fall may involve a city-owned sidewalk, subway platform, or other government property, since notice deadlines in those cases can be much shorter than the standard filing window.

A knowledgeable attorney can help evaluate what evidence is needed for a slip and fall case, identify who may be liable, and pursue fair compensation, including for pain and suffering, on your behalf.

Resources for Fall Prevention

Preventing falls takes proactive effort from both individuals and property owners. The CDC’s STEADI initiative (Stopping Elderly Accidents, Deaths, and Injuries) offers screening tools and resources to reduce fall risk among older adults, while property owners can reduce hazards through regular maintenance, adequate lighting, and prompt repair of known defects.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the leading cause of fatal falls in New York City?

Falls, slips, and trips are tied for the leading cause of workplace fatalities in New York City, accounting for 19 of the city’s 69 workplace deaths, or about 28 percent, in 2023, the most recent year with complete data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

How common are slip-and-fall accidents in New York?

Falls, slips, and trips are the second leading cause of fatal occupational injury nationwide and caused 49 workplace deaths in New York State in 2024 alone, a higher share of total workplace fatalities than the national average. Nonfatal falls are far more common, contributing to hundreds of thousands of injuries requiring days away from work each year.

Who is most at risk of a serious fall injury?

Adults 65 and older face the highest overall risk. More than 14 million older adults, or 1 in 4, fall each year, according to the CDC, and falls are the leading cause of injury for this age group. Construction and building maintenance workers also face elevated occupational risk.

How long do I have to file a slip-and-fall lawsuit in New York?

Most personal injury lawsuits in New York must be filed within three years of the accident. However, claims involving a defect on city-owned property, such as certain public sidewalks or subway platforms, generally require a notice of claim within 90 days, so it is important to speak with an attorney as soon as possible after the accident.

Can I still recover damages if I was partly at fault for my fall?

Yes. New York follows a pure comparative negligence rule, which means you can still recover compensation even if you were partly responsible for the accident. Your total award is reduced in proportion to your percentage of fault.

What should I do immediately after a slip, trip, or fall accident?

Seek medical attention, report the incident to the property owner or manager, photograph the hazard and your injuries, collect witness contact information, and speak with an attorney before discussing the incident with an insurance company.

Is a property owner always liable for a slip and fall on their premises?

No. New York law generally requires an injured person to show that the property owner knew, or should have known through reasonable inspection, about the hazardous condition and failed to fix it or provide adequate warning within a reasonable time.

Who is responsible for a fall caused by a defective New York City sidewalk?

Under New York City Administrative Code section 7-210, the abutting property owner, rather than the city, is generally responsible for maintaining the sidewalk in front of most commercial and residential buildings. Claims involving sidewalks the city itself is responsible for, such as those adjacent to certain city-owned property, instead require a notice of claim within 90 days, so it is important to identify the correct responsible party quickly after an accident.

Get Help After a Slip, Trip, or Fall in New York City

Slip, trip, and fall accidents in New York City are common, often preventable, and can carry serious legal and financial consequences for those affected. Understanding the current data and the legal protections available under New York premises liability law is an important first step in protecting your rights.

If you or a loved one has been injured in a slip, trip, or fall accident in New York City, the team at Seitelman Law Offices can review the circumstances of your case, help gather evidence, and pursue the compensation you may be entitled to.