When we think of accidents, we tend to think of motor vehicle or traffic accidents. Of course, a slip-and-fall and poisoning are other examples of accidental occurrences. Accidents occur at work, public places, private buildings, and even at home.
Research from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) for the last five years indicates that accidental or unintentional deaths are the third leading cause of death in the United States. Unfortunately, an accident may have serious consequences and result in serious injuries or death. When this occurs, accident victims may be entitled to compensation. According to the CDC, while these occurrences are still accidents, unintentional deaths bring a new meaning to the word “accident.”
When motor vehicle traffic, poisoning, and falling accidents are compared, accidental poisoning was the leading cause of unintentional death in 29 of 50 states, including Pennsylvania. Motor vehicle traffic was the leading cause of unintentional deaths in eleven (11) of 50 states. Falling was the leading cause of unintentional death in ten (10) states.
Mississippi has the highest rate of accidental or unintentional motor vehicle deaths per 100,000 people, with a rate of 28.5. Other southern states, Alabama (23.6) and South Carolina (22.5), follow Mississippi. The states with the next highest rates were Arkansas(insert number here), Montana (22.2), Wyoming (21.6), Oklahoma (21.2), and New Mexico (20.7). Pennsylvania’s rate was 11.3. Its’ neighbors’ rates: Ohio (12.1), New York (6.8), New Jersey (7.8), and West Virginia (18.6). The fewest accidental motor vehicle deaths occurred in the District of Columbia, which had 5.8 per 100,000 people.
The state with the highest rate of accidental poisoning deaths per 100,000 people is West Virginia, with 47.4. Pennsylvania (33), Ohio (36.3), and Kentucky (33.6), states that surround West Virginia, also had high death rates. Many point to the present opioid overdose crisis victimizing the region. New York’s rate was 16.9, and New Jersey’s was 23.2, both lower by comparison. Nebraska had the fewest unintentional poisoning deaths with 8.2 per 100,000.
Louisiana has the highest rate of unintentional drowning deaths of children, with 2.59 deaths per 100,000 people. The rate in Louisiana is significantly worse for younger children between the ages of 1 and 4, where the rate is more than double the national average. Florida, almost completely surrounded by water, has the second highest rate of accidental drowning in children with 2.44 deaths per 100,000 people. After Louisiana and Florida, the states with the next highest unintentional drowning death rates in children are Alaska (2.20) and Oklahoma (2.14). Pennsylvania’s rate was 0.76. Its’ neighbors’ rates: Ohio (1.09), New York (0.51), West Virginia (1.58), and New Jersey (0.38), the latter being the lowest in the country.
At Powell Law, it is our goal to protect and assert our clients’ rights effectively. Powell Law’s attorneys have the necessary expertise and experience to evaluate whether you have a potential personal injury claim. Powell Law has an established 115-year-old reputation throughout northeastern Pennsylvania. Contact Powell Law at (570) 961-0777. The consultation is FREE, and you don’t pay unless we win!
