Ha! Before I came back to reread it that's exactly what I was thinking. Usually it's "摔" for a person who fell. To use the verb "掉" on a person is unusual, but

Ha! Before I came back to reread it that's exactly what I was thinking. Usually it's "摔" for a person who fell. To use the verb "掉" on a person is unusual, but I think it's exactly the author's point -- that the person is treated like an object.