79 filed ACC claims for Christmas Day injuries

Christmas Day has its risks. Photo: ODT files
Christmas Day has its risks. Photo: ODT files

Santa delivered an unwanted gift to some Dunedin residents last year.

While most people were playing with their new presents and spending time with family on Christmas Day, others were filling out ACC injury forms.

Statistics released by the ACC last month revealed 79 Dunedin residents filed claims for injuries suffered on December 25.

Of those 79, 26 were aged between 65 and 69.

The number of people in the 65-69 age group was almost twice as many as in 2013 - and the number has been increasing for the past five years.

ACC spokesman James Funnell said most injuries were caused by people slipping, tripping or falling and a large number of those happened outside.

Other injuries occurred while people were doing various activities around the house, opening presents and preparing food, he said.

Some of the injuries were caused by motor vehicle accidents and others by slipping ``in the wet'', he said.

Nationwide there were 706 injuries to people in their mid-to-late 60s and 3634 in total - 122 fewer than 2016 and 107 fewer than 2015.

Three or fewer Dunedin residents aged between 60 and 64 filed injury claims (ACC did not provide an actual figure) which was significantly below those in the next-highest age bracket.

The previous year had the highest number of injury claims in Dunedin and nationwide in the past five years - 89 and 3756, respectively.

JESSICA.WILSON @thestar.co.nz

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ACC. When you can't sue yourself.

 

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