Finding into death of Constantin Daoussianis
Deceased
Constantin Daoussianis
Demographics
80y, male
Date of death
2023-04-26
Finding date
2024-10-24
Cause of death
Complications post fall from ladder sustaining multiple injuries including to the head and chest
AI-generated summary
An 80-year-old man died from complications of a fall from a ladder while pruning vegetation at his holiday property. He sustained multiple injuries including rib fractures, haemopneumothorax, subarachnoid haemorrhage and extradural haematoma. He was admitted to ICU but his condition deteriorated due to progression of intracerebral bleeds and he died 22 days later on a palliative pathway. The coroner emphasised the significant risk of ladder falls in elderly populations, noting that between 2014-2023, 85 domestic ladder fall deaths occurred in Victoria, with 38.8% aged 70-79 and 34.1% aged 80-89. The finding highlights the difficulty elderly people face maintaining independence while managing declining fitness and the need for continued public safety campaigns on ladder safety.
AI-generated summary and tagging — may contain inaccuracies; refer to original finding for legal purposes.
Contributing factors
- Advanced age (80 years old)
- Working at height on a ladder
- Declining fitness levels
- History of benign paroxysmal positional vertigo
- Mental health history (chronic depression, low mood, poor sleep, high anxiety)
- Unwitnessed fall
Coroner's recommendations
- Distribution of this finding to the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC)
- ACCC to continue efforts in prevention and education campaigns targeting the fatal risk of ladder falls, particularly amongst older Victorians
- Continuation of the 'Ladder Safety Matters' campaign with dissemination of updated messages via relevant media including social media channels
- Review of continued impact and effectiveness of the Ladder Safety Matters campaign
Full text
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