Causes of Injury and Death

It is an unfortunate fact that millions of Americans die each and every year. Even here, in one of the safest nations in the entire world, approximately 2.7 million individuals pass away annually. A stagger 75 percent of these deaths can be attributed to 10 simple causes. Accidents and unintentional injuries are the fourth leading cause of death in the United States. Often accidents and unintentional injuries can end up in court as personal injury or wrongful death lawsuits.

Common Types of Accidents

A majority of accidental deaths can be directly attributed to highway speeding. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has stated that highway accidents account for nearly $210 billion dollars of damage annually. Cars are not the only type of vehicle Americans are crashing. The NHTSA also tracks statistics on water, air and space accidents! Understandably, these represent a much smaller percentage of accidents than cars do.

If Americans are not crashing into things, they are finding other ways to accidently injure and kill themselves. The unintended discharge of firearms is the second leading cause of accidental injury and death after collisions. Next up on the list is drowning. Most drownings occur in home pools rather than in natural bodies of water. It is recommended that swimmers always have a buddy nearby. CPR is a noted lifesaving technique.

Falls and fires round out the list of leading causes of accidental injury and death. Home fires alone account for billions of dollars a year in damages and result in thousands of deaths. Well maintained smoke alarms help prevent home fires. It is also recommended that homeowners keep fire extinguishers in the kitchen, garage, and near the laundry facilities.