The Most Common Accidental Deaths

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that 136,053 people were killed in accidents in the United States in 2015 (the last year for which complete data are available). This figure is 5.2% of the total deaths that occurred in that year and has remained mainly the same for several years.

There are many causes of accidental deaths, which is the fourth leading cause of fatalities among people ages 1 to 44, after heart diseases, cancer, and chronic respiratory diseases. This article discusses the three most common causes of accidental deaths.

Motor Vehicle Accidents

Motor vehicle accidents have been the leading cause of accidental deaths in the United States for many years. In 2015, 35,092 people died in car accidents. This figure represents 26.22% of all accidental deaths and 1.36% of all deaths in that year.

Unfortunately, in addition to these tragic deaths, an additional 2.35 million Americans are injured or disabled each year in motor vehicle accidents. Approximately 1,600 of these victims are children under the age of 15 and nearly 8,000 are teenage drivers.

Common causes of motor vehicle accidents include:

• Distracted driving, such as texting and checking emails while driving
• Driving under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs
• Fatigued driving
• Brake failure
• Speeding
• Reckless driving
• Bad road conditions

Slip and Falls

Unintentional slip and falls is the third leading cause of accidental deaths in the U.S. In 2015, 31,959 people died as a result of a slip and fall accident. This figure is 23.49% of all accident deaths in that year. Falls is also the leading cause of traumatic brain injuries (TBI) and hip fractures. Approximately 2.8 million people suffer a fall-related injury every year in the United States. More than 800,000 of these slip and fall victims are hospitalized.

Unintentional Poisoning Deaths

The second overall leading cause of accidental deaths in the United States is unintentional poisoning. In 2014, 28,851 Americans fell prey to unintentional poisoning. This figure represents 28.5% of all accidental deaths in that year.

Poisoning includes the inhalation, absorption, ingestion, injection or contact with any type of toxic substance or material. The majority of unintentional poisoning deaths in the country are caused by drugs, both prescription and illegal types.

Call an Orange County Accident Attorney Today!

The legal team at the Law Offices of Samer Habbas is dedicated to helping our injured clients reach the best monetary settlement when they are involved in any type of accidents.

If you or a loved one has been seriously injured in any type of accident caused by the negligence of another party, our experienced Orange County accident attorneys are available to personally review your case. Call us at 1-888-848-5048 to schedule a free, complimentary consultation with our legal team today.