Wrongful Death Statistics
Wrongful death statistics can shed light on the problem of death caused by the acts of others and the importance of a legal remedy for the families of victims.
Most Common Types of Wrongful Death
Traffic Accidents
- According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, traffic accidents account for more than 32,367 deaths each year. That’s 89 fatalities per day or one every 16 minutes.
- Thirty-seven percent of victims were in small passenger vehicles; 29% were in small trucks, 14% were on motorcycles, and 14% were pedestrians. Thirty-one percent of drivers involved in fatal accidents were over the legal limit at the time of the accident, meaning that an alcohol-impaired accident happens once every 53 minutes. In Utah, there are approximately 240 car accident deaths per year; 22% of them involved intoxicated drivers.
Workplace Accidents
- According to the Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries, there were 4,693 fatal work accidents in 2011; 24% of these were transportation-related. 10% were workplace homicides.
- According to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, 17% (over 700) of work fatalities were construction-related.
Slip, Trip, and Fall Accidents
- Serious slip, trip, and fall injuries are startlingly common occurrences, in spite of the common assumption that they are rarely serious. Approximately 25,000 deaths occur by fall in the United States each year. Many of the worst fall injuries are suffered by construction workers and others whose occupations involve working with dangerous equipment in precarious conditions.
Medical Malpractice
- As many as 200,000 people are killed by medical malpractice each year. When medical malpractice causes a death, it may qualify as a wrongful death claim.
Violence
- According to the FBI’s Uniform Crime Reports, there are approximately 13,000 murders in the United States each year. Utah has about 50 each year. While murder is a criminal charge, civil charges may also be brought against the perpetrator.