Bleeding and neurological injury is rare in falls less than ___ feet.

• A. 3
• B. 8
• C. 5
• D. 10

Answer: (C)

Injury risk from a fall tracks the energy of impact, which grows with height. The fall converts gravitational potential energy into kinetic energy at impact, and higher energy means a greater chance of penetrating the skull or causing brain injury. Falls from very short heights impart relatively low-energy impacts, so bleeding inside the skull and serious neurological injury are unlikely in healthy adults. Five feet is a commonly used practical threshold: falls shorter than this tend to be low-energy enough that such injuries are rare, while taller falls carry higher risk. Note that age, anticoagulant use, or existing brain issues can change this risk, but as a general rule five feet marks the point where serious head injury becomes unlikely.