Oops! Accident-prone readers recount mishaps

Making breakfast certainly sounds safe enough — unless the bacon grease scalds and startles you, causing you to jump back, sprain your ankle and hit your head, as happened to a reader from Salsbury, N.C., who responded to an msnbc.com story about people who are accident prone.

Hundreds wrote in to share tales of tripping, slipping, breaking bones, walking into dressers and, in one case, being hit by a roast. While one reader was hurt in an incident involving 600 pounds of chicken, for most, it's the everyday pitfalls that seem to trip people up. "Stair cases have become my worst enemy," one reader wrote, "as well as icy sidewalks."

Some say they were distracted and not paying attention when they got hurt, while others still are scratching their heads over what went wrong. "Crossing a street one day with my dad, I fell on straight dry pavement and I was wearing sneakers," wrote one reader.

Read on for more reader responses:

I ran over my foot with my own car! I was washing the car when I pulled it into the garage to wax it. I didn't have it in park and it started to roll. I jumped in and tried to stop it. The door knocked me down and the wheel went over my foot. I was very lucky because I had on hard bottom shoes, and they split and took most of the weight. I have an accident about once a month. I also opened an upright freezer to get food out. A standing rib roast flew off the top self and hit me in the leg. Cracked the bone. Watch out for standing rib roasts. Last night I was cutting meat. I cut my finger in the same place I cut it two months ago. I can still see the old cut. We are eating hamburger for a while. I have had rakes hit me in the head. Framing nails in my spine, and lots of crazy falls. I went on a cruise this winter to South America and got a wood tick on my behind in the rain forest. I will survive. --Anonymous , Pocatello, ID (submitted on May 14, 2009)

I am a 46-year-old woman and so far I have managed to shoot a hole in my finger with a pistol, almost drowned while sea urchin diving (I ran out of air and then got my 50 pound bag of urchins wrapped around my fin), got my foot wrapped in lobster rope and almost dragged overboard, ran myself over with my Suburban when I jumped out after the brakes failed (I was backing down a steep incline and the open door knocked me to the ground under the Suburban) and oh yeah, I was spearfishing in a 150 feet of water when the amberjack that I shot did circles around me and wrapped the wire leader around my neck as I was trying to get to the surface. And then there was the time that I had 3 sharks circling me on the bottom as I slowly ran out of air. Did I mention that I now train wild horses? You should see what I've been through with my mustang...I've had so many near misses that my oldest son (who attends Phillips Exeter Academy) wrote a memoir about me for his English class. --MARIANNE WILLIAMS, Westport Island, ME (submitted on May 14, 2009)

My husband swears I can trip on air. I always have unexplained bruises. I was walking through a parking lot on my first day at a new job and broke my left foot. about a month ago. I crashed into a telephone pole while mowing and caused a deep muscle injury on my upper left leg. I fell off a tree stump I was sitting on and sliced open my right wrist. I have fallen up the stairs to my house and as a result had to have major repair done to my wrist. I can be walking down the hall and walk into the wall. I get out of a chair and can just fall over. It's always been an embarassment for me to be in public because I am always falling, tripping on nothing or running into things. I even fell backwards into a car door and broke my tail bone. I have slammed my own hand in car doors and I am not allowed to use any sharp objects in the kitchen. --patricia neely, eastaboga, AL (submitted on May 14, 2009)

All in the same day I tripped over a curb and scraped my knee, banged my arm on the corner of a wall while turning the corner, walked into a door, had a person open a door and smash my hand by accident, tripped getting off the school bus falling on my butt, and once I got home - decided to go onto my trampoline - eventually losing my footing, landing on one foot, and rolling my ankle inwards ripping muscles and breaking every ligament in my ankle. I am probably the MOST accident prone person that I know. --Katee Holliser (submitted on May 14, 2009)

I was backing 600 Ilbs of whole chickens into the cutting room at the local grocery store that I was working at.BUT what I forgot to do was move the 6 inch boning knife that was wedged into the weighing scale.YEP!!! I back right into it!!!I puctured my lung and nearly cut into my heart. This is what happens when you get into a rush and do not pay attention. Then, while preparing to leave on a date, I had left my wallet in the house. It was already dark so instead of turning on the lights to see where I was going, I ran through the house and tripped over the coffee table, fell foward and knocked myself out on the door trim. 20 stitches later, my date went home never to call again!!! --Thomas Willis, independence, MO (submitted on May 14, 2009)

Accident prone is the phrase I have heard my entire life. I am pretty sure since a very young age I have fallen prey to these so called accidents. Now in adulthood they have increased in quantity and craziness. I have had so many accidents in the last few year that my co-workers doubted it was even possible at one point. I have tripped and fallen on flat surfaces so many times that it has become normal occurrence. Beyond that I have been rear-ended while stopped at stop signs, and have had my car hit twice while it was parked. Last winter my sister ran over my foot then a few months later backed into me. At one point I even backed over her. I have fallen out of my car and landed on my face. (Yes, sometimes while it was moving.) While cooking out last summer my grill exploded, lighting me on fire. Staircases have become my worst enemy, as well as icy walkways. Sometimes things just happen around me, my friends think that I am bad luck or cursed. I have had five cars quit while driving down in the last year alone, for no apparent reason or without any warning. The worst case of my bad luck occurred just a few months ago. I was the passenger in a new pick-up truck, driving down the interstate with no apparent road hazards present. Then out of nowhere the rear driver's side tire blew right off the rim and we rolled down the embankment. This is just the beginning I could probably write a novel with all of the freak accidents that have plagued my life. I now have a five year old who seems to have inheritated my special talent. We are both known by our first names at the local Emergency Department, and I think the receptionist at my doctor's office now reconizes my voice on the phone. At least there is a silver lining, I have never been too seriously injured. I like to think of it as the "best-worst luck" possible. --Amanda Craig, Windham, ME (submitted on May 14, 2009)

I had a "White Trash Bash" for my 23rd birthday. My friends and I were dressed accordingly with Nascar t-shirts, fake pregnant bellies with cigarettes, crocs with socks, and tattoos that made strangers uncomfortable. I found these $2 Spice Girl inspired platform tennis shoes which were perfect for the occasion. They complimented my denim/lace mini skirt and American flag shirt complete with a camouflage eagle and, "These Colors Don't Run" ribbon. My alias for the night was “Merica”, and I was having the time of my life. We left bar number one on our pub crawl when a pal behind me started singing Abba’s favorite hit, Dancing Queen. I began to dance and spin while soaking up the summer air when the next thing I know I’m laying on the concrete sidewalk on the busiest street in the city. I was conveniently in no pain, however, I had heard the loud pop and I could see my foot 6 inches from where it usually was – I didn’t need to feel it, I know what I did. I watched my friends tuck in to the fetal position, scream in horror and cry while I sat trying to manipulate time travel to two minutes before. I finally felt the gut wrenching wave of pain when the ambulance arrived and casted my ankle. When we finally made it to the hospital they immediately took me for x-rays, leaving my boyfriend in the lobby with a torn D.A.R.E. t-shirt, a blacked out tooth, and denim cut-off shorts. When we reunited, I had to convince the doctor he wasn’t homeless and that I actually had health insurance. When identifying the correct leg for surgery the doctor stated, “Right outside ankle, identifying kama-sutra tattoo”. My last memory of the night was trying to muster up the energy to save myself horrifying embarrassment by replying, “It’s fake!” but it was too late, I was already under. After 2 plates, 6 screws and 3 months, I found the strength to walk again. My dignity, however, is still at large. --Lael Greer, Salt Lake City, UT (submitted on May 14, 2009)

I was cooking bacon with breakfast one morning when I noticed that the temperature was too high. I leaned over to turn it down when some of the fat popped, hitting me right on the side of the face and splattered over my arm. I jumped away from the stove and turned around too fast spraining my ankle, causing me to fall and hit my head on the side of the wall. When my boyfriend came over later that day I was sitting on the couch with my arm bandaged, small bandages on my cheek an ice pack on my head and my ankle wrapped up. He asked me what had happened and I told him, “I was cooking breakfast.” I told him he needed to get used to it because I do this type of thing to myself all of the time. --Anonymous , Salisbury, NC (submitted on May 14, 2009)

I have broken both my feet twice. Both big toes and little toes a few times each. Each elbow once. Torn rotator cuff and millions of strained neck, shoulder and back muscles. I even broke one of my elbows going for coffee refill and tripped on a rug. Thirty days into a new job and on my birthday. That was two years ago this past May 9th... I have not had any accidents since (knock on wood). --Cheryl Anne Landon, Clearfield, UT (submitted on May 14, 2009)

I broke my foot when a full (plastic) bottle of syrup fell out of the refridgerator and landed on it. I also broke my nose when a shampoo bottle fell off the shower rack and clobbered me. --Anonymous (submitted on May 14, 2009)

I've been a klutz all my life, but a few episodes take the cake I think. As an undergraduate student I played rugby (and never ended up injured from playing rugby I might add) and during practice we ran laps around the field to warm up. We had to run these laps single file, and I was known to daydream during these runs. The whole team in front of me dodged to the right to avoid the field goal posts, and being in a dream world I ran right into the poll and gave myself a concussion. Then as a graduate student I was on the phone talking to my father about my last ambulance ride and the cost when I fell off the curb, rolled out in front of a moving truck, and tore some ligaments in my ankle and broke my foot. Four Georgia Tech police officers responded to the scene and off I went for my next ambulance ride. Just a few weeks later, I was getting a half gallon of Breyer's vanilla bean out of the car and grabbing my laptop at the same time. I yanked hard because the laptop weighed a lot more, and the ice cream carton launched itself at me and smacked me in the face. It bounced off my face so hard that it blew the horn when it hit the steering wheel and resulted in a broken nose. I always find these things happen when I don't have my full attention on what I'm doing! I'm a space case, and I know it! --Katie Campbell, Atlanta, GA (submitted on May 14, 2009)

I do think that heridity does play a part - My daughter exhibits some of the same characterists that I do. Stories: I once fell down a flight of stairs, picked my self up, took a deep breath and fell down the next flight of stairs! Crossing a street one day with my dad, I fell on straight dry pavement and I was wearing sneakers. My father-in-law, went to pass me the platter of turkey to bring to the table, realized who he was giving it to and said, "Never Mind, you are prone to triping"! Nine months pregnant with my daughter, wearing flat shoes, I walked into a restaurant that had polished their floors the night before and did the slide save yourself dance across the whole front of the restaurant. The entire patrons and staff of the restaurant all let out a collective sigh of concern when I hit the floor! In all truthfulness, I cannot walk and chew gum at the same time. Yes, sleep, stress, multitasking all play a part, but sometimes the less I think about walking, the less I fall. I blame the fact that I am 5'5" and have a 6.5 shoe size for one thing! --Anonymous , NW (submitted on May 14, 2009)

I am tall and long-legged and always have bruises from bumping into things without even realizing it. If I have a couple of drinks it's even worse -- I ricochet off everything! I have had a "lazy eye" since childhood, and my son inherited the same condition. He received treatment that has mostly corrected his eye problem, and I saw him change from a somewhat clumsy child to a pretty good athlete. I then realized that the source of his clumsiness (and mine) was probably lack of depth perception because the brain tends to "shut off" the lazy eye. At least I understand now that my lack of coordination and frequent injuries are not a punishment from God! --Anonymous , Waynesboro, PA (submitted on May 14, 2009)

I went to let my little 5 lbs dog outside in the morning, everything was great until I came into my dining room and walked straight into the dresser that holds all of the dogs stuff, I literally mean I saw the dresser coming towards me and didn't even try and avoid it. Within five minutes my arm was all puffed up and turned a very pretty shade of bright purple. I ended up with a bruised ulnar bone, that I of course would bump into everything for the next 2-3 weeks while it was healing. --Olivia do couto (submitted on May 14, 2009)

Leaving for lunch one day from the office, I tripped and fell down the front metal stairs at work and required 8 stitches by a plastic surgeon. A few months later I fell down my front stairs at home while my husband was out of the country and got a nine inch round hematoma on one side of my rear end. Within a few hours on that Saturday night it was dark violet and green and fully colored and swollen by the time I arrived at the doctors office on Monday. The doctor said he'd never in all his practice seen a bruise such as that and sent me home with a doctors note from work for 2 days. I took a picture of it because it was so spectacular. Often I sense a bit of skeptisism or wonder as my doctor inspects my injuries. On Halloween a few months later I fell down the stairs at my neighbor's house and put a colorful but serious lump on the front of my lower shin.... I do bruise very easily and people are often looking at me like I'm abused. I am almost 6 foot tall and 50 years old. My husband has been out of town (or the country) for alot of my falls, but hardly gets his feathers ruffled because he's so used to it. I think he just thinks I'm rubber. My bruising is very troubling as I must make great effort to avoid clunking myself when I have formal affairs and need to dress up. Last Christmas I sported a biceps bruise so colorful that from afar it looked like a tattoo! I'd rather have jeweled accessories, thank you! My hands, arms and legs often are a green cast of recovering bonks. The worst part is that it doesn't matter how colorful or bad they are I seldom recall how they happen. I have been checked out by my doctor and neurologist and they concede that I'm fine. When my sister mentioned some concern about my 'trips' to my Mother she stated in her sweetest, little, well-intentioned mothering voice "well you know Baby Jane has always been just a little bit clumsy". --Anonymous , Chelsea, AL (submitted on May 14, 2009)

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