Preventable Deaths Have Gone Up 57 Percent Since 1992

July 28, 2016

Preventable injuries have become the fourth leading cause of death in the country and are killing Americans at the highest rate in history, according to the National Safety Council (NSC).

Preventable deaths trail only heart disease, cancer and chronic respiratory disease as leading causes of death in the U.S.

Deaths from preventable injuries increased 57 percent from a 68-year low in 1992. There were 136,053 deaths from preventable injuries in 2014, which equates to one death every four minutes.

Preventable injuries include injuries from:

• Exposure to smoke or fire
• Motor vehicle accidents, particularly those involving impaired driving
• Accidents in water or in the air
• Accidental discharge of a firearm
• Accidental poisoning, including drug overdoses
• Falls

Recognizing Threats to Your Safety

The NSC has put together a Safety Checkup tool to help citizens recognize threats to their personal safety based on the state where they live, gender, and age. According to the NSC, the top cause of preventable death in each age group is as follows:

• Ages 0-1: Suffocation
• Ages 1-4: Drowning
• Ages 5-24: Automobile accidents
• Ages 25-64: Poisonings
• Ages 65 and up: Falls

The NSC is asking everyone across the country to help it accomplish its mission of ending preventable deaths in this lifetime. The #Safe4Life movement calls for Americans to work together toward the common goal of harm reduction.

Since 1913, the NSC has partnered with elected leaders, businesses and government agencies to curb preventable injuries and deaths in the nation’s communities, homes and workplaces.

If someone you love died as a result of a preventable injury, you may be entitled to compensation for medical bills, funeral expenses, and pain and suffering. The Phoenix wrongful death lawyers at Phillips Law Group have secured just compensation for many victims of preventable injuries.

Call 1-800-706-3000 or complete our Free Case Evaluation formtoday.