How to Fake an Injury
Fake a sprained ankle., Consider shin splints., Try a rotator cuff injury., Think about a pinched nerve in the back., Fake a sprained ACL., Find a plausible cause., Practice your story., Be vague., Avoid injuries which leave outside marks., Don't...
Step-by-Step Guide
-
Step 1: Fake a sprained ankle.
A sprained ankle is fairly easy to fake and a very common injury.
This injury is usually the result of a fall and takes 2-8 weeks to heal, depending on severity.
A good story for how you sprained your ankle would be that you tripped while walking down a steep hill, or fell from a street curb.
This injury can usually just be wrapped up in a fabric bandage, such as an Ace bandage.
Crutches may be needed.
If forced to see a doctor, you want to portray mild to moderate pain and slight difficulty moving your foot.
Too severe and tests may be ordered. -
Step 2: Consider shin splints.
Shin splints are an injury to your shin (surprise!).
There is very little evidence of shin splints, even on x-rays or scans, so this is a good option.
Pain and some swelling are the usual symptoms and it takes a few weeks to heal.
If forced to see a doctor, tell the doctor that you are in pain and that your leg was a little swollen but it only seems to swell at night.
A good story for how you got shin splints would be that you tried to start running to lose weight/get in shape.
This is a common cause of this injury. , Your rotator cuff is a series of muscles in your shoulder, which can get strained from too much force, usually from overhead.
This injury heals in 2-6 weeks, depending on severity.
A good story for how you sprained your rotator cuff would be that you fell while going down the stairs and strained the muscles when you caught yourself.
This should be presented as mild to your doctor, as more severe injuries require surgery or injected steroids. , This is one of the harder to pass off injuries, as there are tests which can show that you're fine.
Downplay it as mild to your doctor, to reduce the likelihood of further investigation.
Bed rest, maybe a back brace, and about a month healing time should get you through a "mild" injury.
A good story for how you hurt your back would be that you were lifting a heavy box and it just suddenly hurt very badly. , The ACL is a ligament in your knee which is prone to injury from exercise and strain.
This is one of the harder to pass off injuries, as there are tests which can show that you're fine.
Downplay it as mild to your doctor, to reduce the likelihood of further investigation.
A good story for how you sprained your ACL would be that you jumped from a fairly high spot and landed badly.
This injury can usually just be wrapped up in a fabric bandage, such as an Ace bandage.
Crutches may be needed as well. , If you're going to fake an injury, you're going to need to find a reasonable cause for that injury.
It should be a fairly common injury, and gotten from something that you would plausibly do.
See the injuries listed in the second section for examples of plausible causes for each injury. , You should know the details backwards, forwards, and upside down.
Getting details mixed up when questioned is usually how people find out that you're lying.
Do not add details every time you tell the story (though you should tell it in a slightly different way or a slightly different order, so that it doesn't sound rehearsed). , You don't want to get too in-depth when you tell your story.
This gives it a ring of being fake and pre-planned, like you don't think people are going to believe you.
Tell the story naturally and as if you don't really want to talk about it.
BAD example: "I was walking down the stairs to get a can of soup from my basement and then I saw a spider which totally freaked me out so I tripped.
Thankfully, I caught myself in time to keep from hitting my head, but I hurt my shoulder instead.
I went to the doctor and we had to wait in the room for ages but then..."
etc, etc.
GOOD example: "I tripped down the stairs and when I caught myself I guess I sprained something in my shoulder."
Anything such as cuts, bruises, scars (all of that stage-makeup stuff), might look convincing at first, but you run the risk of it looking different from day to day or getting caught red-handed if it gets wet.
If you're going to fake an injury, it should be like one of those above, which has few outside indicators. , Just aside from the fact that any convincing staging of an injury will likely get you actually hurt, getting injured on school or work property opens them up for a lawsuit and they will more thoroughly investigate your injury.
You want people to pay as little attention as possible. , Overacting is a clear sign of faking.
Do you think you're the first person to ever fake an injury to get out of something? They will be naturally a bit suspicious, so don't give them reasons to suspect you even more.
Don't overact with doctors.
Doctors especially will be able to tell.
Let them see that you are in pain but don't make it seem too serious.
You want to avoid getting expensive tests, like x-rays or MRIs.
Don't overact with others.
Your teachers, teammates, classmates, coworkers, bosses, etc. will usually be able to tell if you're really hamming it up.
Downplay your injury and don't moan and groan all the time. , You need to be focused on keeping up the act, even when you think you're alone.
You never know when someone might walk in.
Even if you're among people that know you're faking, don't invite opportunity to get caught. , Having an injury for only one day, or only being in pain for one day is a clear sign that you faked it.
Draw it out, even if you come back to school or work after only a day or two, over the course of at least a week.
The length of time will depend on your fake injury. , Make the "getting better" progression look normal.
You should wince whenever you move in the beginning, but slowly progress towards being able to do more and more. , The "major injury" excuse really only works once.
If you do it twice then you're accident-prone, at best.
Three times and people will definitely be able to put it together.
Definitely don't get injuries close together.
Separate them by at least a few months, if not years. -
Step 3: Try a rotator cuff injury.
-
Step 4: Think about a pinched nerve in the back.
-
Step 5: Fake a sprained ACL.
-
Step 6: Find a plausible cause.
-
Step 7: Practice your story.
-
Step 8: Be vague.
-
Step 9: Avoid injuries which leave outside marks.
-
Step 10: Don't "get hurt" at school or work.
-
Step 11: Don't overact.
-
Step 12: Don't drop the act for even a moment.
-
Step 13: Give yourself about a week to heal.
-
Step 14: Progress slowly towards easier movement.
-
Step 15: Don't pull this stunt more than once.
Detailed Guide
A sprained ankle is fairly easy to fake and a very common injury.
This injury is usually the result of a fall and takes 2-8 weeks to heal, depending on severity.
A good story for how you sprained your ankle would be that you tripped while walking down a steep hill, or fell from a street curb.
This injury can usually just be wrapped up in a fabric bandage, such as an Ace bandage.
Crutches may be needed.
If forced to see a doctor, you want to portray mild to moderate pain and slight difficulty moving your foot.
Too severe and tests may be ordered.
Shin splints are an injury to your shin (surprise!).
There is very little evidence of shin splints, even on x-rays or scans, so this is a good option.
Pain and some swelling are the usual symptoms and it takes a few weeks to heal.
If forced to see a doctor, tell the doctor that you are in pain and that your leg was a little swollen but it only seems to swell at night.
A good story for how you got shin splints would be that you tried to start running to lose weight/get in shape.
This is a common cause of this injury. , Your rotator cuff is a series of muscles in your shoulder, which can get strained from too much force, usually from overhead.
This injury heals in 2-6 weeks, depending on severity.
A good story for how you sprained your rotator cuff would be that you fell while going down the stairs and strained the muscles when you caught yourself.
This should be presented as mild to your doctor, as more severe injuries require surgery or injected steroids. , This is one of the harder to pass off injuries, as there are tests which can show that you're fine.
Downplay it as mild to your doctor, to reduce the likelihood of further investigation.
Bed rest, maybe a back brace, and about a month healing time should get you through a "mild" injury.
A good story for how you hurt your back would be that you were lifting a heavy box and it just suddenly hurt very badly. , The ACL is a ligament in your knee which is prone to injury from exercise and strain.
This is one of the harder to pass off injuries, as there are tests which can show that you're fine.
Downplay it as mild to your doctor, to reduce the likelihood of further investigation.
A good story for how you sprained your ACL would be that you jumped from a fairly high spot and landed badly.
This injury can usually just be wrapped up in a fabric bandage, such as an Ace bandage.
Crutches may be needed as well. , If you're going to fake an injury, you're going to need to find a reasonable cause for that injury.
It should be a fairly common injury, and gotten from something that you would plausibly do.
See the injuries listed in the second section for examples of plausible causes for each injury. , You should know the details backwards, forwards, and upside down.
Getting details mixed up when questioned is usually how people find out that you're lying.
Do not add details every time you tell the story (though you should tell it in a slightly different way or a slightly different order, so that it doesn't sound rehearsed). , You don't want to get too in-depth when you tell your story.
This gives it a ring of being fake and pre-planned, like you don't think people are going to believe you.
Tell the story naturally and as if you don't really want to talk about it.
BAD example: "I was walking down the stairs to get a can of soup from my basement and then I saw a spider which totally freaked me out so I tripped.
Thankfully, I caught myself in time to keep from hitting my head, but I hurt my shoulder instead.
I went to the doctor and we had to wait in the room for ages but then..."
etc, etc.
GOOD example: "I tripped down the stairs and when I caught myself I guess I sprained something in my shoulder."
Anything such as cuts, bruises, scars (all of that stage-makeup stuff), might look convincing at first, but you run the risk of it looking different from day to day or getting caught red-handed if it gets wet.
If you're going to fake an injury, it should be like one of those above, which has few outside indicators. , Just aside from the fact that any convincing staging of an injury will likely get you actually hurt, getting injured on school or work property opens them up for a lawsuit and they will more thoroughly investigate your injury.
You want people to pay as little attention as possible. , Overacting is a clear sign of faking.
Do you think you're the first person to ever fake an injury to get out of something? They will be naturally a bit suspicious, so don't give them reasons to suspect you even more.
Don't overact with doctors.
Doctors especially will be able to tell.
Let them see that you are in pain but don't make it seem too serious.
You want to avoid getting expensive tests, like x-rays or MRIs.
Don't overact with others.
Your teachers, teammates, classmates, coworkers, bosses, etc. will usually be able to tell if you're really hamming it up.
Downplay your injury and don't moan and groan all the time. , You need to be focused on keeping up the act, even when you think you're alone.
You never know when someone might walk in.
Even if you're among people that know you're faking, don't invite opportunity to get caught. , Having an injury for only one day, or only being in pain for one day is a clear sign that you faked it.
Draw it out, even if you come back to school or work after only a day or two, over the course of at least a week.
The length of time will depend on your fake injury. , Make the "getting better" progression look normal.
You should wince whenever you move in the beginning, but slowly progress towards being able to do more and more. , The "major injury" excuse really only works once.
If you do it twice then you're accident-prone, at best.
Three times and people will definitely be able to put it together.
Definitely don't get injuries close together.
Separate them by at least a few months, if not years.
About the Author
Jerry Peterson
Writer and educator with a focus on practical crafts knowledge.
Rate This Guide
How helpful was this guide? Click to rate: