The Finding
Car crashes get the headlines in the Phoenix area. Falls kill more people.
From 2018 to 2024, accidental falls killed 4,844 Maricopa County residents, according to death certificate records the CDC publishes through its WONDER database. Over the same seven years, motor vehicle traffic crashes killed 4,223.
Falls were the bigger killer in 5 of the 7 years. Traffic deaths came out ahead only in 2021 and 2022, when they spiked across the country.
In 2024, falls killed 780 county residents. Traffic crashes killed 612.
Most Deadly Falls Happen on Flat Ground
A fall doesn’t have to be from a roof or a ladder to kill. Of the 4,844 deaths, at least 2,953, about 61%, were coded as falls on the same level, such as slipping, tripping, or losing footing on a flat surface.
Falls on stairs and steps killed 73 people. Falls from ladders killed 52, and falls from a building or structure killed 18. Most of the rest were recorded without saying how the person fell.
A wet floor, a broken sidewalk, a loose mat, or an unlit walkway is enough.
Who Dies
Older adults carry most of the toll. Of the 4,844 people who died:
| Age | Deaths |
|---|---|
| 85 and older | 2,223 |
| 75 to 84 | 1,449 |
| 65 to 74 | 643 |
| Under 65 | at least 525 |
That’s 89% aged 65 or older. For an older adult, a fall that breaks a hip or causes a head injury can start a decline that ends in a hospital, a hospice, or a care facility.
The death records show where people died, which is often not where they fell. 1,699 died as hospital inpatients, 1,253 in hospice, 615 at home, and 531 in a nursing home or long-term care facility.
Stores, landlords, and their insurers start building their side of the story right away. You should have someone building yours.
Call (602) 654-0202, 24/7, or get your free case review. No fee unless we recover.
Arizona Runs Above the National Rate
Fall deaths depend heavily on age, so we compared age-adjusted rates, which account for differences in how old each population is.
From 2018 to 2024, Arizona’s age-adjusted death rate from accidental falls was 12.2 per 100,000 people. The national rate was 10.7, so Arizona ran about 14% higher.
Maricopa County accounted for 4,844 of Arizona’s 8,293 fall deaths over those years.
What This Means After a Fall
Death records only count the worst outcomes. Far more people survive a fall with a broken wrist, a torn shoulder, a back injury, or a concussion.
When a fall happens at a grocery store, an apartment complex, a restaurant, a parking lot, or a care facility, the property owner may be responsible. That depends on whether the owner knew, or should have known, about the hazard.
The evidence that answers that question disappears fast:
- store and parking lot video, which often records over itself within days or weeks
- floor inspection and cleaning logs
- the incident report the business filed
- maintenance records and earlier complaints about the same hazard
- photos of the spot before it’s cleaned up or repaired
Most claims against a private owner must be filed within two years under ARS 12-542. A fall on City of Phoenix property, such as a city sidewalk or building, needs a notice of claim within 180 days under ARS 12-821.01.
This describes how these cases work in general. It isn’t legal advice for a specific case.
If you or a parent fell on someone else’s property in Phoenix, talk to our Phoenix slip and fall lawyers before you give a recorded statement to the owner’s insurer. For falls caused by unsafe conditions more broadly, see our premises liability lawyers. The first conversation is free.
Video and inspection records can be gone before anyone asks for them. We move quickly to lock that evidence down.
Call (602) 654-0202 now or start your free case review. No fee unless we recover.
How I Counted
I used CDC WONDER’s Underlying Cause of Death database for 2018 to 2024, which is built from death certificates. Fall deaths are deaths with an unintentional intent and a fall as the injury mechanism, ICD-10 codes W00 to W19. Traffic deaths are unintentional motor vehicle traffic deaths.
Deaths are counted by the person’s county of residence, not where the fall or crash happened. Falls on the same level are ICD-10 codes W01 and W18. WONDER suppresses counts under 10, so the level-ground and under-65 figures are minimums.
Arizona and national rates are age-adjusted to the 2000 US standard population.
Related Coverage
For more of our Phoenix injury data, see how Arizona’s fatal crash records leave basic scene facts unknown far more often than any other state’s.
Frequently asked questions
How many people die from falls in Maricopa County?
Do falls really kill more people than car crashes in the Phoenix area?
What kinds of falls are most deadly?
Who dies from falls in Maricopa County?
Is Arizona's fall death rate higher than the national rate?
What should I do after a fall at a store, apartment complex, or other property in Phoenix?
Where does this data come from?
Sources & references
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Health Statistics. National Vital Statistics System, Mortality 2018-2024 on CDC WONDER Online Database (Underlying Cause of Death, Single Race). Retrieved October 4, 2026, from https://wonder.cdc.gov/ucd-icd10-expanded.html
- Arizona State Legislature. ARS 12-542: Limitation of Actions, Personal Injury. Retrieved October 4, 2026, from https://www.azleg.gov/ars/12/00542.htm
- Arizona State Legislature. ARS 12-821.01: Notice of Claim Against a Public Entity. Retrieved October 4, 2026, from https://www.azleg.gov/ars/12/00821-01.htm