Unintentional injuries in Laval: Hospitalizations rising, falls driving most serious harm
The CISSS de Laval has released on january 5th a new public health bulletin focused on unintentional injuries in the region, such as falls, motor vehicle collisions, poisonings, fires and drownings. These events are accidental, but their impacts are measurable and often severe, leading to temporary or permanent disability and, in the most serious cases, death.
A growing pressure on hospitals
According to Laval sous la loupe (Vol. 2, No. 1, January 2026), Laval recorded an average of 2,432 short-stay hospitalizations per year for unintentional injuries between April 2021 and March 2024, for an adjusted rate of 49.6 hospitalizations per 10,000 people.
The bulletin notes that Laval’s rate is now higher than the rest of Québec (47.3), a shift from previous periods when Laval’s rates were generally below the provincial average.
Over time, the bulletin reports a steady increase in the number of annual hospitalizations:
- 2009–2012: 1,812
- 2012–2015: 1,908
- 2015–2018: 2,082
- 2018–2021: 2,380
- 2021–2024: 2,432
Even with population growth and aging taken into account, unintentional injuries still represent roughly 8 percent of all short-stay hospitalizations in Laval.
Falls dominate, especially among seniors
The clearest trend is the overwhelming role of falls. For 2021–2024, falls and presumed falls account for 83.6 percent of hospitalizations linked to unintentional injuries in Laval, compared to 73.6 percent province-wide, according to the bulletin.
Other causes represent a smaller share:
- Motor vehicle collisions: 4.2 percent
- Impact from objects or compression injuries: 1.8 percent
- Other causes: 10.4 percent
The bulletin also highlights a more encouraging trend on roads: hospitalizations linked to motor vehicle collisions have declined compared to earlier years, and Laval performs better than the provincial average on that specific indicator.
Risk changes sharply by age
The bulletin breaks down how injury causes and hospitalization rates shift across life stages:
- Under 18: falls remain the top cause (52.6 percent), but less dominant than among seniors
- Ages 18–64: falls lead (57.6 percent), while motor vehicle collisions reach their highest share (12.3 percent)
- 65 and over: falls become almost universal
- 65–74: 86.3 percent of cases
- 75 and over: 94.9 percent of cases
One striking data point underlines the scale of risk at advanced ages: the hospitalization rate rises from 12.0 per 10,000 among girls under 18 to 759.8 per 10,000 among women aged 85 and over.
A Laval-specific pattern: women more affected
Province-wide, men typically show higher injury rates than women. Laval stands out because women are hospitalized more often for unintentional injuries than men, which the bulletin links to the high weight of falls among older residents.
In Laval, the bulletin reports:
- Women: 50.5 per 10,000
- Men: 47.1 per 10,000
The gap grows after age 75:
- Ages 75–84: women 253.7 vs men 189.0
- Ages 85 and over: women 759.8 vs men 545.9
Deaths are increasing, despite Laval still below Québec overall
While hospitalization rates show some recent stability, the bulletin flags a rise in mortality. Unintentional injuries are now reported as the 8th leading cause of death in Laval.
Average annual deaths attributed to unintentional injuries:
- 2007–2011: 68
- 2012–2016: 88
- 2017–2021: 140
The adjusted mortality rate rose from 1.9 per 10,000 (2007–2011) to 3.0 per 10,000 (2017–2021). The bulletin notes this is still below Québec’s average (3.9), but the pace of increase is described as concerning.
Falls remain the main cause of death (68.6 percent), followed by poisonings (10.7 percent), vehicle collisions (6.4 percent) and suffocation (5.7 percent).
What public health is watching next
With Laval’s population continuing to age, the bulletin points to fall prevention as a central priority. It cites a projection that roughly 4,000 Laval residents aged 65 and over could be injured by falls in 2025, reinforcing the need for prevention strategies that reach people at home and in everyday settings.
For Laval Weekly readers, the message is clear: unintentional injuries are not random. They disproportionately affect seniors, and in Laval, especially older women, with falls at the center of both hospitalizations and deaths.
