Wrongful Death Statistics

Accidents and unintentional injuries are the fifth leading cause of death in the United States, according to the National Center for Health Statistics, which reported 117,809 accidental deaths in 2005.
Motor vehicle crashes are among the leading causes of accidental deaths. In 2006, 24,087 passenger cars were involved in fatal accidents, according to the Fatality Analysis Reporting System.
In 2006, there were a reported 4,321 fatal crashes involving tractor trailers.
The 2006 Fatality Analysis Reporting System recorded 4,935 motorcycle deaths. The report said 2,537 of these fatal motorcycle accidents were due to a collision with a motor vehicle.
Accidents and unintentional injuries are the number one cause of death for those between the ages of 1 and 40.
Approximately 45% of wrongful death injuries occur in and around the home.
Falls in the home and community cause or lead to as many as 16,000 deaths annually, according to the National Safety Council.
The National Safety Council reports that 80% of those who receive fatal injuries from slip and falls are over the age of 65.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics recorded 5,840 workplace fatalities in 2006. About 4,800 of the fatalities were wage and salary employees, while approximately 1,000 were self-employed.
On average, men have a higher workplace death rate then women.
In 2006, people in the 45-54 age range had the highest workplace death rate, with 1,417 fatally injured.
The Center for Disease Control reported in January 2008 that more than 400,000 Americans die each year from cigarette smoking. That amounts to nearly 1 of every 5 deaths each year.
More deaths are caused each year by tobacco than by all deaths from HIV, illegal drug use, alcohol use, motor vehicle injuries, suicides, and murders combined.
Smoking causes about 90% of lung cancer deaths in men and almost 80% of lung cancer deaths in women.
Approximately 80,000 people die each year in the United States due to medical malpractice. A Harvard Medical study report concluded that only one in eight patients that suffers from medical malpractice actually pursues the incident as a legal claim.
According to the National Funeral Directors Association, an average funeral in the United States costs about $6,500.