Introduction:
Falls are included among the geriatric giants, as their consequences in older people are major in terms of nursing, medical, social and economic problems. In the case of elders they can lead to fractures and, consequently, even to death.

Material and Methods:
The study retrospectively analysed the medical records of 455 cases of injuries resulting from falls among patients over 65 years of age. Data was gathered in the Emergency Department (ER) of the Independent Public Clinical Hospital No. 1 in Lublin, Poland. The analysis included patients who visited the ER during the period 01.05.2009–30.04.2010.

Results:
Elderly patients hospitalized in the ER within the given period accounted for 8.10% of all patients. Most of patients over 65 years of age were admitted in December due to falls; slightly fewer cases were recorded in March and April. Mondays and Saturdays were the days of the week with the highest number of reports of elderly patients. Analysis of the collected data incorporating further treatment showed that the great majority of injured patients did not require hospitalization and were discharged home. In the analyzed population of older people, damage to upper and lower limbs dominated, followed by injuries to the head, chest and abdomen.

Conclusions:
Falls are a major cause of reduced quality of life, disability and death in older people. There are important factors in limb fractures (90%-100%). Preventing falls is a difficult and underestimated problem. There is a need of implementing preventative measures in the case of falls in elderly patients.