Georgia Injury Law Blog
A new study that has been published in the Journal of Experimental Biology, may have avian subjects, but could provide Atlanta slip and fall accident lawyers answers to preventing of these accidents among human beings. As an Atlanta injury lawyer, I have seen the devastating personal injuries caused by slip and fall accidents. Any study that can help us to understand how to avoid injuries from these accidents is always appreciated.
It is often challenging to conduct studies into the prevention of accidents in human beings, because you can’t recruit human subjects to test in real-life situations.So the researchers used birds, specifically guinea fowl, as subjects, and studied the birds as they ran confidently across the track.The researchers created a 6 m track.Some parts of the track were covered with sand paper, while the others were covered with a slippery polypropylene lining.The birds, large guinea fowl, with a small head and the round body, were chosen, because they specifically prefer to walk rather than fly.
Some of the birds, the researchers noticed, were able to navigate the track easily.Even on the slippery surface, they slipped a little, but were able to regain their balance.Others slipped several times, and fell.The researchers studied the differences between the birds that were able to maintain their balance, and those that fell.They found that the birds that were able to maintain their balance while walking on the slippery patch, usually walked across the patch in a very upright position with their feet and the body.The birds that fell, typically took bigger steps out in front of their bodies.
The lesson for humans, according to the researchers, is to step on a slippery patch the right way.Most of us put a foot out in order to test the patch, while the best approach would be to lift the foot and keep it underneath the body, as we walk on the patch.
The results of this research could be considered while formulating fall accident prevention technologies for elders not only in their homes, but also in nursing homes and elder care facilities.