Coroner's Finding: Wright, Ronald James
Deceased
Ronald James Wright
Demographics
81y, male
Date of death
2024-02-05
Finding date
2024-09-19
Cause of death
Pulmonary thromboembolism as a result of multiple traumatic injuries caused by accidental fall from height
AI-generated summary
An 81-year-old man fell from a 2.8-metre ladder while installing a sunshade on his roof. He had not secured the ladder or had a spotter present. The ladder overbalanced when he attempted to stand on the top rung, which bore a warning label. He sustained multiple traumatic injuries including skull fractures, brain contusions, subdural haematoma, subarachnoid haemorrhage, and pelvic and arm fractures. After 12 days of intensive care complicated by delirium, he developed a pulmonary thromboembolism and died. The coroner emphasised that ladder safety, particularly for older workers, is critical and that this preventable death highlights the ongoing risk of unsafe ladder use among elderly males.
AI-generated summary and tagging — may contain inaccuracies; refer to original finding for legal purposes.
Specialties
Error types
Contributing factors
- Unsafe ladder use at age 81
- Failure to secure ladder feet
- Absence of spotter or second person
- Standing on top rung despite warning label
- Ladder overbalance during foothold adjustment
- Working at significant height (2.8 metres)
- Post-traumatic delirium during recovery
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