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When you get treatment after a slip and fall accident, your healthcare providers will classify your injury using an ICD-10 code. Healthcare providers use ICD-10 codes to identify the external cause of a patient’s injury or health condition, facilitate data collection and research, and improve consistency in injury classification. ICD-10 codes also advise insurance companies of the reasons for a patient’s injury or medical condition, which may affect an insurer’s coverage determination.
What is an ICD-10 Code?
ICD-10 codes refer to alphanumeric codes in the International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision. The system is published and updated by the World Health Organization (WHO), though the CDC’s National Center for Health Statistics handles the clinical modification of ICD-10 for use in the U.S. This publication provides a standardized system to code diseases and injuries for data-gathering purposes, which healthcare providers use when diagnosing patients.
General ICD-10 Code Categories for Slip and Fall
ICD-10 codes for slip or trip and fall accidents include:
- W00: Fall due to ice and snow
- W01: Fall on same level from slipping, tripping, and falling
- W03: Other fall on same level due to collision with another person
- W04: Fall while being carried or supported by other persons
- W05: Fall from non-moving wheelchair, nonmotorized scooter, or motorized mobility scooter
- W06: Fall from bed
- W07: Fall from chair
- W08: Fall from other furniture
- W09: Fall on/from playground equipment
- W10: Fall on/from stairs or steps
- W11: Fall on/from ladder
- W12: Fall on/from scaffolding
- W13: Fall from, out, or through building or structure
- W14: Fall from tree
- W15: Fall from cliff
- W16: Fall, jump, or dive into water
- W17: Fall from one level to another
- W18: Other slipping, tripping, or stumbling falls
- W19: Unspecified fall
Based on the ICD-10 code, insurance companies and others involved in a personal injury claim can determine information such as the location of a slip and fall, how it happened, and contributing factors.
Location-Specific Codes
Some of the ICD-10 codes for slip and fall accidents refer to the location of the fall. These codes include:
- W05: Fall from non-moving wheelchair, nonmotorized scooter, or motorized mobility scooter
- W06: Fall from bed
- W07: Fall from chair
- W08: Fall from other furniture
- W09: Fall on/from playground equipment
- W10: Fall on/from stairs or steps
- W11: Fall on/from ladder
- W12: Fall on/from scaffolding
- W13: Fall from, out, or through building or structure (Subcodes cover falls involving balconies, bridges, roofs, floors, and windows)
- W14: Fall from tree
- W15: Fall from cliff
- W16: Fall, jump, or dive into water
- W17: Fall from one level to another (Subcodes include falls involving wells, storm drains, manholes, holes, empty swimming pools, and docks)
These ICD-10 codes help establish where your slip and fall accident happened, which can indicate the owner or manager of that property may be liable.
Activity Code at the Time of Fall
Some ICD-10 code categories refer to the fall victim’s activities at the time of the fall, including:
- W01: Fall on same level from slipping, tripping, and falling – This code covers falls on a flat level or moving sidewalk but not from a slightly elevated position such as from a toilet or in a shower/bathtub.
- W03: Other fall on same level due to collision with another person – This covers a fall after colliding with another person, unless transported by other people. However, the code excludes getting pushed or crushed by a crowd/stampede or falling on a pedestrian conveyance.
- W04: Fall while being carried or supported by other persons – This code covers accidents that occur when people carrying or supporting a person accidentally drop them to the ground.
Using these ICD-10 codes can show what may have caused the slip and fall and that others may have been involved and potentially at fault.
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External Cause Status Code
Some codes address an external cause of a slip or fall, including:
- W00: Fall due to ice and snow – This code includes pedestrians who slip on ice and snow. However, it excludes accidents involving falls on ice and snow involving a pedestrian conveyance. 20
- W18: Other slipping, tripping, or stumbling falls – This covers situations such as falling after bumping against an object, falling off the toilet, or falling in the shower or bathtub.
- W19: Unspecified fall – This covers all accidental falls without another covered cause or circumstance.
These ICD-10 codes may be relevant to your slip and fall because they can help identify how the accident happened.
Example Scenario
As an example of how ICD-10 codes work for slip and fall accidents, suppose a person slips and falls while walking down the entrance steps of a commercial building due to ice. When that person seeks medical treatment, their healthcare provider may diagnose the cause of their injury using ICD-10 code W00.1—Fall from stairs and steps due to ice and snow.
W00.1 can help document the cause of the victim’s slip and fall injuries and tie them to the accident. This can indicate to the victim’s personal injury lawyer that they should investigate the icy steps. Insurers may also have a harder time arguing that something else caused the victim’s injuries because the healthcare provider already determined the cause. The correct ICD-10 code can launch the process of showing the property owner is at fault for the victim’s injuries because they didn’t keep the steps clear of ice.
Do You Have a Question? Contact Our Law Firm Today
If you’ve been hurt in a slip and fall accident in the Boston area, you deserve experienced legal advocacy and support to pursue financial recovery for your harm and loss. Contact Earley Law Group to learn more about your legal options.
We have over 20 years of experience representing clients in Boston who have suffered injuries in accidents caused by others’ negligence or fault. When you hire us, you know you’ll get The Earley Experience. We guarantee we’ll provide you with the white-glove treatment, honest and frequent communication, and maximum effort for maximum compensation. And we’ll do it all without charging you anything unless we win.
Our firm has over 700 Google reviews of our top-quality service and proven track record of success in accident cases. As one client’s testimonial puts it:
“Christopher was awesome helping me resolve my slip and fall case. He made it as stress free as possible given my circumstances. I am very happy with the services and will be sure to refer him to friends and family!” – Xiomara D.
Don’t wait to seek the financial recovery and accountability you deserve from a negligent property owner. Talk to a Boston slip and fall attorney from Earley Law today in a free, no-obligation consultation to discuss how we can help you demand compensation for your medical bills, lost income, and pain and suffering.
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