There’s an old theory floating around that some people are more prone to accidents than others. It’s called accident proneness, and experts tend to agree that about 20% of the people have most accidents, while the remaining 80% virtually have none.
Today, we’re putting this theory to the test with stories of people who suffered injuries in the most silly ways possible. Scroll down to find them below, and don’t forget to upvote the ones that got a visceral reaction from you.
While you're at it, make sure to check out a conversation with a social psychologist and personal trainer, Jennifer Fidder, and a certified triathlon coach, Kristen Hislop, who kindly agreed to share some advice on how we can avoid injuries and accidents in our everyday lives.
#1
I'm a landscaper and I got two black eyes bc I accidentally stepped on a rake and it hit me in the face, I thought that only happened in cartoons.
Image credits: rose
#2
I pulled my shoulder opening a bottle of ibuprofen I was taking for my back.
Image credits: AppalachianWizard
#3
I dislocated my kneecap while sitting and NOT MOVING. I had to show it to 15 doctors, replicate my NONEXISTENT movement and SOMEHOW dislocated my other one.
Social psychologist and personal trainer Jennifer Fidder says that, in general, people who are less flexible and lack muscle strength and balance are more prone to injuries.
In a workout context, mistakes that often lead to accidents, especially with beginners, include improper form and choosing a weight that is too heavy.
"It’s important to first get familiar with an exercise and practice proper form before increasing resistance. Skipping the warm-up and jumping straight into heavy weights can also lead to injuries, particularly around the shoulder area," Fidder explains.
#4
Turned one quarter of an inch, pinched my sciatic nerve, fell, and ate my gaming desk knocking out two teeth and giving myself a concussion. All because I wanted a Capri sun.
Image credits: nerdynardo
#5
Broke my nose in a judo competition ❌ Broke my nose walking up the steps to collect my trophy for winning the judo competition ✅
Image credits: Lady Charlotte
#6
Broke an arm, AFTER I went to get the cast removed I came home and fell over something, straight back in... IT WAS STILL THE SAME SHIFT.... I broke the other arm doc was like "Girl I JUST took a cast off you?!"
Certified triathlon coach Kristen Hislop stresses that weakness is a huge trigger for injuries. "I tell my high school athletes that if you can't balance on one leg for 10 seconds after the age of 60, you've lost ten years off your life. They always need to do research and then tell me I am correct. If you can't balance on one foot, you are more likely to fall. As we age, falls can cause breaks and worse."
She adds that doing too much too soon and our imbalances can also contribute to injury proneness.
"We are born pretty perfect. As we go through life, we have injuries and learn patterns of movement that create imbalances. Our bodies are incredibly adept at compensating. So while we might come back to activity, we are not moving as we should. As we add more and more small injuries, they really start to compound," Hislop explains.
#7
My husband split his chin open trying to impress me by doing the worm when we were dating. Safe to say the er visit only made us grow closer 😂
Image credits: Annadelle B
#8
I got a hernia trying to push a fart out.
Image credits: Bacia
#9
My friend broke her ankle because she was mocking the way i walked 💀
Image credits: 😼 Febe 😼
Another thing that is important to know to avoid accidents is that injuries can happen at any age.
"Younger bodies are often more forgiving and generally more flexible, but that doesn’t mean they are immune to injuries. Their healing process tends to be faster, though, largely due to better blood flow, which supports tissue repair. Higher levels of growth hormones and stronger immune systems are additional factors that contribute to quicker recovery from wounds and injuries," Fidder says.
#10
Got myself a concussion sneezing while opening the fridge....
Image credits: MarionLaDel
#11
I broke my foot two days before my wedding, because I tripped over my other foot.
Image credits: Maskfis
#12
I've been laughing so much about these comments that I had an asthma attack lol
"Kids who are growing and going through puberty are at high risk for injury. Bones grow faster than tendons and ligaments, which can create true aches and pains. Kids have a tendency to want to go from zero to 60, and while they may not be sore, this can result in injuries. Kids also don't want to talk about something hurting, fearing that they might be pulled from a game," notes Hislop.
"On the flip side, injuries are incredibly common for older adults. Our healthcare system focuses on disease and fixing something afterwards. My son just graduated from the University at Buffalo with a Physical Therapy doctorate. At graduation, they encouraged the grads to go out and focus on health versus disease. We'd all be better off if we focused on doing more and doing it better. We should focus on being strong, lifting weights, working on balance, and working on any imbalances."
#13
2 weeks ago I sprained my knee because my legs were criss cross apple sauce and my fat cat laid on my lap.
Image credits: Manon 🇨🇦
#14
My husband broke his pinky toe right off the bone while doing a twirl to I Wanna Dance With Somebody by Whitney Houston :)
Image credits: .
#15
Gave myself a black eye trying to weigh my suitcase... the handle snapped and my clenched fist from holding it, sprung back into my own face 😂
Image credits: MB 🇪🇸🇪🇺
Something else we can do to reduce our risk of injuries is to be proactive and work on our balance and strength on a daily/weekly basis, says Hislop.
"There are so many little things we can do. Stand on one foot while cooking. Start with your less dominant side (or the injured side in the past). Park further at the grocery store and carry your bags to the car while working on great posture. Walk up and down stairs every day (without holding the railing). Sit on the floor and stand up without using your arms," she further suggests.
"This may not be possible today, but these can be goals to work towards. Never use age as an excuse. You can always get stronger and have better balance. It takes work, but the benefits are HUGE! I do think about how I want to age - what do I want to be able to do. If you travel the world, there are many areas where people old and young, move well without injury because they move more often and lift heavy things."
#16
Kicked a soccer ball too hard fell back broken three of my fingers and got a concussion. Doctor came in and said “banged your noggin?” I thought he was introducing himself and questioned him, “what dr dangernoggin?” Instant diagnosis.
#17
My ex laid on the floor to pet our cat, sneezed and got stuck in some kind of hunchback of Notre Dame position. I had to help her get to the toilet for weeks.
#18
I dislocated my entire knee while i was asleep and went to physical therapy for a year and a half for it 🙂
Image credits: Aspennnnnnn
"The more muscle mass we have, the better our bones and organs are protected," Fidder summarizes.
"Muscles essentially act as a cushion. Muscle also plays a key role in stability, posture, and overall functional movement. As we age, improving balance and flexibility becomes just as important for preventing falls and maintaining overall stability. That’s why a proper strength training routine, combined with balance exercises and flexibility training, is crucial for reducing the risk of injuries."
#19
My Guinea pig bit my toe. I was on heavy duty painkillers, antibiotics and crutches, with an infected big toe.
#20
Went to kick a cat toy, missed, legs go flying up, body goes crashing downwards, landed directly on my wrist trying to catch myself. Completely broke radius, fractured ulna. Dr takes one look at the xray and says “Girl, you fell HARD.”
#21
I broke my foot walking. Didn't trip. Didn't get stuck on anything. Just walking.
#22
I was holding a crate of potatoes and bent over and sneezed, now I have two herniated discs in my back, no function of my bladder or bowels, severe pain, numbness, the list goes on and on.
#23
My dog got out so I took my truck to go catch her. I got out of the truck to get her and forgot to put it in park. Truck dragged me 5 houses down the road. Gave myself 3rd degree burns down my legs. I did get the dog.😂
#24
I dislocated my shoulder once from throwing a ball for a dog.
Image credits: ktmorrisgcfb
#25
I used to work at the Cheesecake Factory and when I was cutting bread for a table one day I cut my hand bad on a pointy shard of bread… not the gigantic bread knife, but the bread itself 🤦🏼♀️
#26
Broke my ankle stepping out of an ambulance that was taking my seizing daughter to the ER.
#27
Threw my back out getting up from the toilet after peeing 🙃
#28
I threw my back out for a month picking up a cucumber I dropped when putting away the groceries. I couldn’t walk, excruciating pain, missed a vacation.
Image credits: 🖤Like.A.Diamond🖤
#29
I hit my elbow in class when I was 14. I fainted, and hit my head on the table behind me. I woke up in a puddle of blood and there was pieces of teeth in my mouth. I had to go to the hospital for stitches on my forehead, and I had 2 teeth infections because of the impact. I still have to go to the dentist because of that 7 years later.
#30
I broke my ribs from coughing too hard……twice.
#31
Stubbed my toe on an oil heater which caused a wound that infected my whole leg and couldn’t walk for 10 days because it kept getting infected. First day out in the real world again and I broke my front tooth taking nurofen FOR MY TOE.
#32
I got frostbite and the tip of my finger fell off… it was summer and no doctor could diagnose me then it just shriveled into a raisin and fell off, it was excruciating.
#33
Walked into a wall and got a concussion. And had to be driven to the hospital in Halloween makeup... which does not go away with water. I was Jeff the killer.
#34
I once sneezed rice out of my nose and my nostrils hurt for hours afterwards.
#35
I was yawning and stretched at the same time and pulled a muscle in my throat. Could barely swallow anything for a week.
Image credits: mitchyd1990
#36
I once gave myself a concussion by sneezing in my sleep and hitting my head on the cinder block wall of my dorm the morning of midterms. And it was the best I ever did on my major exams.
#37
Fractured my ankle whilst walking- not running just walking. Also dislocated a disc in my back when I was a teenager because I turned around to talk back to my mum- I say it was karma from being a brat😂
#38
I fell off of a changing room bench and broke the foot I didn’t land on.
#39
I tore my knee ligament just dancing in my room and my knee cap popped out- had to go to school the next day with a brace and LIE.
#40
Broke my knee bc i tried to turn the lights off with my foot.
#41
I got a hernia from a chicken nugget. Literally had to have surgery.
Image credits: Tori
#42
I got a stab wound from a knife while in 1st grade bc i was dancing and tripped on an open dishwasher in my grandma’s kitchen.
#43
I crushed my nerves in my thumb because I put it on the back of a shoe trying to put my feet in the shoe and I fell with it still inside and crushed it 😊 1 year paralysis. The beginning of intense problems yeah 😎
#44
I have a scar on my eyebrow from burning myself of a grain of rice that leapt out the pan as I was frying it.
#45
I accidentally inhaled a fly, it remained in my nose, alive, for hours. Had to go to the hospital for a came down my nose and get it removed.
#46
Omg I cut myself on a chocolate CAKE!! The cake had a cardboard collar in which liquid icing had been poured and had set, unfortunately it made a sharp edge and when I took the collar off it sliced my entire palm 😖
#47
Got a black eye from trying to open a tube of toothpaste.
#48
broke two toes trying to scooch a chair in and sat down full force (im quite solid) not realizing my foot was directly under the chair leg 🙃
#49
Playing hide n go seak and I was hiding under some cupboards/shelves. The person found me but scared me so bad I jumped up, rammed my head into the corner of the cupboard and cracked my skull 💀😭
#50
I tore my meniscus attempting the stanky leg.
Image credits: kaylapetrovic
#51
I sneezed and I gave myself a herniated disc 😃 couldn’t walk at all for a week.
Image credits: nnellybabyy
#52
My mum broke her ankle in 3 places playing crash bandicoot on the play station 😃
#53
I concussed my self getting in my car too quickly bc I thought I was running 30 min late…I showed up to work 45 min early throwing up unable to be in bright lights..
#54
Tripped on the welcome mat at walmart and broke my arm.
#55
I broke my arm in the dryer cause the mechanism that stops the dryer from spinning when you open the door didn't work. I put my hand in it thinking it'd stop. a queen sized comforter wrapped around my wrist and twisted till it snapped.
#56
I disclocated my knee and partially blew my ACL while doing an ONLINE chemistry exam. Did it by straightening my leg. Had to get surgery a year after because it wouldn’t heal normally.
#57
I was doing that thing where you lock the car whenever someone tries to open the door and I was doing a dramatic evil laugh and hurt my neck so bad I couldn't turn my head for days.
#58
I was putting on lashes and cut my eye trying to fix them with a spooly brush. Had to go to the eye doctor n everything.
#59
Sneezed and full tore my abdominal muscle wall. Bled internally for a few hours too. 👍 I am not allowed to do sit ups anymore either 😂🧘
#60
Gave myself a black eye eating a gogurt.
#61
When I was a teenager, I jumped over a puddle to avoid slipping and falling and somehow ended up slipping on the dry pavement instead, falling backwards into the puddle, and gave myself a nasty concussion.
#62
Fell down a SINGLE stair. broke my ankle in 7 different places. This was 11 years ago and I still have trouble walking on it.
#63
Went outside with no shoes in rain, slipped and fell down stairs- was air lifted to a hospital unresponsive. Catheter, intubated and all. Nothing wrong, just my body went into shock mode lmaooo. Not a single scratch when I snapped out of it.
#64
I was pushing a lawnmower and slipped. Caught myself with one hand and caused a radial fracture. Tried getting back up but grabbed the lawnmower for leverage 🤦🏻♀️🙄 fell right back down and broke my elbow 🤦🏻♀️😂
#65
My cousin’s husband injured his neck doing an impression of Thorgy Thor from Drag Race. He needed to go to the doctor. 😂
#66
Broke a toe when I tripped on my bell bottoms trying to run to the living room to watch *NSYNC on the today show….
#67
I broke my pinky toe seeing how far I could walk with my eyes closed and I ran into a chair.
#68
I'm currently dealing with a pinched nerve from last Thursday because I picked up my cat.
#69
My dog clotheslined me with her leash while we were running and I fell and got my leggings fabric stuck in my knee.
#70
I once wiped out and got a goose egg head banging to the song bangarang by skrillex. I slipped hit my head on the fish tank a bunch of water spilled out and I face planted. I still can’t live it down to this day.
#71
Forced it too hard and burst a blood vessel in my eye.
#72
I couldn’t walk for 3 days bc I hit the Rasputin dance too hard at Christmas 😪
#73
I pulled a muscle in my back while brushing my hair and sneezing… I was 16… couldn’t breathe/walk properly for a few days.
#74
I dropped a drawing pin/push pin, knelt down to find it & it found my knee. Had to get it out with pliers. Got cellulitis. All this happened just after reassuring my husband I was being careful. 🤷♀️
#75
My sister broke her foot last week when a co-worker clapped as she walked in the room. She was startled and flung herself into a pile of moving boxes. 🤷🏼♀️
#76
I’ve accidentally dislocated some fingers sorting laundry and I’ve also dislocated my wrist trying to open up a pack of paper towels (I have HEDS) lol
#77
Hugged someone and folded a muscle in my neck. Couldn’t move at all, ambulance had to take me to hospital and they doped me up on muscle relaxers until they could manipulate it back.
#78
I was in a dr’s office for some testing (won’t go into deets) and was asked to take off my shoes and socks. While sitting on a chair, I bent down, and my knee let out the most ungodly pop, it was so loud and painful the drs got a little concerned. I initially waved their concern off bc that kind of popping and pain is normal for me, but anyways, days go by and things aren’t getting any better. Went to the drs again, got an MRI, turns out I completely tore my meniscus by trying to take my shoes off.
#79
I completely shattered and permanently destroyed my foot and ankle, breaking multiple bones and tearing over 30 ligaments and tendons, just bc I was trying to show off to an oblivious and innocent 3 year old stranger that I could jump rope faster than her with my cowboy boots on. I was 16 years old.
#80
I broke my shoulder lifting a gallon of milk from the fridge at costco to put it on my cart.
#81
I sprained my wrist sitting down once.
#82
In high school I was running to the bus, tripped on my sweatpants and knocked myself out in the middle of the road. Bus drove away LOOOOOL. Friend driving through the neighborhood to school found me and thought I was dead😅
#83
Tore my ACL 2 days before my wedding on a trampoline. All I was doing was jumping. I jumped up and MID AIR my ACL snapped and tore my meniscus. Didn’t have said wedding because of it. 10 years later we’re still married 💙
#84
Drunk new years night. Went to sit on a camp bed, hit a metal filling box and broken my coccyx. Couldn’t move, no one phoned 999, numb from the waist down. I was given a tall glass of neat vodka with a straw and a medical cigarette. It still aches when it’s damp, decades later. Protect your tail bone!
#85
I slept on one too many pillows and couldn’t turn my head left for dayyyys.
#86
I ripped my calf muscle literally just turning around on the spot 😅
#87
Knocked myself out picking something off the floor and misjudged the desk….woke up to my boss freaking out. 😂
#88
I got stuck in a toddler swing and lost almost all circulation in my right leg when I was 17. I couldn't walk right for a year and it caused a lot of nerve damage in my leg 🤣 don't get stuck in swings on dares.
#89
Jumped up and and did the Stuart madtv “look what I can do” leg clap thing couldn’t walk the next day and ended up seeing a specialist & pulled all the muscles and ligaments in my groin lol
#90
My lung collapsed because sneezed too hard.
#91
I fell off a bike with training wheels I broke my arm and had to get surgery for it 😐
#92
I slipped on a silky thing at work. And got a concussion, cervical sprain, shoulder sprain and fractured my nose. 😂
#93
Broke my ankle going into a rock pool…
#94
Broke my ribs trying to get my kids balloon off the ceiling. Fell onto the arm of a couch.
#95
Tore my meniscus and completely ruptured my acl bending over to pick up a netball.
#96
I gave myself a concussion by running into a pole and was put out of work for a week.
#97
I went ice skating and dislocated my knee, doesn’t sound too embarrassing, but then I tell people I only made it 2 feet while holding on to the bar on the wall and the only reason I fell was because I accidentally (barely) kicked the skate with my other foot trying to take a step.
#98
I injured my wrist eating ice cream which was followed by 4 weeks of physio, 2 seperate X-Rays and an ultrasound.
#99
My husband put his back out making the bed and couldn’t move for a week. I fell asleep which resulted in an entrapment in my shoulder requiring 6 wks of PT
#100
Dislocated my middle finger missing a high five and slamming it on a desk 🤦♀️
#101
I gave myself a concussion cuz I misjudged the distance between myself and a shelf. Went right at it forehead first while trying to pick something off of the floor. Literally saw stars. My doctor laughed at me when I explained what happened.
#102
I was doing the Disney knees and one popped and still hurts almost a month later.
Image credits: Jonathon
#103
A door slammed, broke the top of the ceramic clock over it, the clock fell on my foot, broke my pinky toe, spent a whole night looking for an opened ER (they were all closed wtf) to get told to put ice and not walk on it.
#104
I slightly turned to ask a coworker to warm up a blueberry muffin and tore my meniscus.
#105
Ran into a wall playing laser tag and broke my nose.
#106
I broke my finger playing slapjack.
#107
I broke my ankle.. walking off a curb. That’s it.
#108
I broke my pinkie finger while running during a fake amazing race game.
#109
I jumped in the air and forgot to put my feet back down. Ended up on crutches and in a boot 😩
