How often these injuries happen
OSHA recorded 122 severe cases of you falling to lower levels over the reporting period. Fractures are the most common injury, accounting for 53% of these incidents, often requiring extensive medical intervention and long-term rehabilitation.
These falls frequently result in severe trauma to the brain and upper extremities. Because these incidents often involve significant impact forces, your recovery process is frequently complex and may require specialized care for head and spinal injuries.
Common injuries
Falls from heights typically occur when safety protocols fail during your routine tasks on elevated surfaces. Portable ladders and stairs are the primary source of these accidents, often due to improper setup, lack of stabilization, or failure to secure the equipment. You may experience these falls while performing overhead tasks like demolition, insulation, or electrical work, where a single slip or equipment failure leads to a dangerous descent.
| Injury Type | Incidents | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Fractures | 65 |
| 2 | Severe wounds or internal injuries and other injuries | 15 |
| 3 | Traumatic injuries or exposures— unspecified | 10 |
| 4 | Intracranial Injuries | 10 |
| 5 | Multiple severe wounds and internal injuries | 8 |
| 6 | Injuries to the brain, spinal cord and other injuries | 4 |
| 7 | Multiple surface and flesh wounds | 3 |
| 8 | Other multiple traumatic injuries— n.e.c. | 2 |
Where injuries happen most
Construction accounts for 37% of all reported fall incidents, as the nature of the work requires frequent use of ladders, scaffolds, and rooftops. Manufacturing follows at 15%, where you may face risks while accessing elevated machinery or lighting fixtures. These industries have specific obligations to provide fall protection systems, and failures to maintain these safeguards often lead to preventable severe injuries.
Real cases like yours
Common patterns in these incidents include you losing your balance while using ladders for overhead repairs, or being struck by falling objects that knock you from your position. Many reports detail failures in equipment stability or unexpected contact with electrical components that trigger a fall. If any of these scenarios mirror your own experience, an attorney can help you review the specific circumstances of your injury.
| Year | State | Industry | Incident summary | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | MD | Construction | "An employee was on an A-frame ladder while preforming demolition of a ceiling. A section of HVAC ductwork fell on the employee and knocked them to the ground approximately 12 feet below. The employee was hospitalized with a concussion and lacerations." | |
| 2025 | TX | Construction | "An employee was on a 10-foot ladder, working to insulate 24-inch piping that was 12 feet above the ground. The pipe jack/steel tube used to raise the pipe slipped, causing the steel tube to strike the employee's face. The impact caused the employee to fall off the ladder and sustain fractures to their left tibia and fibula." | |
| 2025 | OH | Construction | "On July 26, 2025, an employee was on a ladder wiring an air handling unit. He sustained an electrical shock from a 277-volt wire, then fell approximately 6 feet hitting his head and back on the floor. The employee sustained fractures to the side of their face and their T6 vertebra." | |
| 2025 | TX | Construction | "An employee was on a rooftop, supervising the lifting of a 30' x 30' structure manufactured from I-beams. The employee was knocked to the ground and the suspended load settled on them. The employee sustained a head injury, loss of an eye, and fractured ribs." | |
| 2025 | NY | Manufacturing | "Employees were upgrading lighting fixtures in the accounting offices. The injured employee was on a ladder working on a ceiling light fixture. He came into contact with the metal grating surrounding the fixture and sustained an electrical shock that caused him to lose balance and fall approximately 3 to 4 feet to the floor. The injured employee sustained a fractured pelvis and a torn rotator cuff." | |
| 2025 | IL | Utilities | "An employee was on a ladder while attaching insulated lugs to wires outside of a customer's home. The employee was electrocuted and his body locked up, causing him to fall off the ladder onto the ground feet first. The employee suffered electrocution injuries and shattered both ankles." | |
| 2025 | AL | Administrative Services | "An employee was working from a bucket truck about 30 feet in the air. A tree section the employee had just cut made contact with the bucket or boom of the truck, and the employee was forced out of the bucket. The employee fell to the ground and suffered broken ribs, a broken shoulder blade, a broken collarbone, and a collapsed lung." | |
| 2025 | OH | Construction | "An employee was working in an electrical junction box and was shocked by an energized circuit. The employee fell off a ladder about 3-4 feet to a cement floor, sustaining fractures to his left shoulder and right heel. The employee was hospitalized." | |
| 2025 | GA | Construction | "On July 9, 2025, a crane operator was replacing a fuse behind the upper cab of a crane. They had been kneeling and holding a panel surrounding the engine compartment. When they began to stand up, the panel unexpectedly came loose. The employee lost their balance and fell to the asphalt below, suffering a broken hip." | |
| 2025 | TX | Transportation & Warehousing | "The injured employee loaded a container onto a railcar and then mounted the railcar to put in the locking mechanism for the container. The employee was struck by another container that a crane was loading onto the railcar and fell approximately four feet from the railcar to the concrete ground. The employee sustained fractures to their pelvis, shoulder, and two ribs." |
Source: OSHA Severe Injury Reports. Narratives are verbatim from filings; identifying details may have been redacted by OSHA.
Frequently asked questions
Falls from ladders frequently result in fractures, particularly to the legs and pelvis, as well as traumatic brain injuries from the impact. These injuries often require surgery and prolonged physical therapy to regain mobility. An attorney can help you document the full extent of your medical needs for your claim.
Employers are required to provide a safe workplace, which includes implementing fall protection systems like guardrails, safety nets, or personal fall arrest systems when you work at height. If your employer failed to provide necessary safety equipment or training, you may have a strong basis for a Workers' Compensation claim. An attorney can help you evaluate whether safety violations contributed to your fall.
Workers' Compensation generally covers medical expenses, rehabilitation costs, and a portion of lost wages while you are unable to work. In cases of permanent impairment, you may also be entitled to additional disability benefits. An attorney can help you ensure your claim accurately reflects all your losses and that you receive the benefits you are entitled to.
Yes, OSHA mandates strict guidelines for ladder safety, including proper angle, securing the ladder at the top and bottom, and ensuring the equipment is in good condition. When these standards are ignored, the risk of a fall increases significantly. An attorney can help you determine if your employer violated these safety regulations.