When people think about the leading causes of death, they often think about medical conditions or health problems. They consider having a stroke as they age, having a heart attack due to years of unhealthy eating or developing cancer from smoking, sun exposure, asbestos exposure or something of that nature. There’s truth to this. Heart disease and cancer, for instance, are the top two leading causes of death in the United States. People should be concerned about these issues.
However, people often overlook the role of unintentional injuries when it comes to common causes of death. Overall, these rank as the third leading cause of death in the country. That bears looking into. To do so, here are the three top reasons for unintentional deaths, per the CDC:
- Unintentional poisoning: In one study, poisonings led to 64,795 deaths, or 19.9 deaths for every 100,000 people in America.
- Car accident deaths: The study noted 40,231 car accident deaths or 12.4 for every 100,000 people in this country.
- Unintentional falls: The CDC found that falls alone led to 36,338 deaths in one year, which is 11.2 for every 100,000 people in the nation.
Again, this is not to take away from other causes of death or the concerns people face. It’s just to shed light on the fact that accidental deaths can occur for many reasons. A lot of them can happen at any age, so this isn’t just something people need to think about as they get older. You cannot predict these types of incidents.
Have you lost a loved one to a car accident, a fall or some other unfortunate event? Be sure you know your rights. If another party’s negligence led to your loved one’s death, you may have right to compensation for your losses. While that may not bring your loved one back, it can provide your family with the financial stability you need to move forward.