When you wake up in the morning the last thing you are probably thinking about is getting into an accident. Wise people avoid dangerous situations and are less likely to be in an accident, and it’s good to know where those situations are.
The Insurance Information Institute keeps track of how people are killed (non-natural causes) and the results are interesting. These numbers tell us how many people died from various causes and what the odds are any random person will die from the ranked causes in any year, and over their lifetime:
| Cause of Death | Cases in 2014 | Yearly Odds | Lifetime Odds |
| Unintentional poisoning by and exposure to noxious substances | 42,032 | 7,586 | 96 |
| All motor vehicle accidents | 35,398 | 9,008 | 114 |
| Car occupants | 6,274 | 50,822 | 645 |
| Motorcycle riders | 4,106 | 77,656 | 985 |
| Pedestrian incident | 6,258 | 50,952 | 647 |
| Assault by firearm | 10,945 | 29,133 | 370 |
| Exposure to smoke, fire and flames | 2,701 | 118,051 | 1,498 |
| Fall on and from stairs and steps | 2,285 | 139,544 | 1,771 |
| Drowning and submersion while in or falling into swimming pool | 701 | 454,860 | 5,772 |
| Firearms discharge (accidental) | 586 | 544,125 | 6,905 |
| Fall on and from ladder or scaffolding | 525 | 607,347 | 7,707 |
| Air and space transport accidents | 412 | 773,925 | 9,821 |
| Earthquake and other earth movements | 86 | 3,707,640 | 47,051 |
| Cataclysmic storm (2) | 61 | 5,227,165 | 66,335 |
| Bitten or struck by dog | 36 | 8,857,140 | 112,400 |
| Lightning | 25 | 12,754,282 | 161,856 |
| Flood | 8 | 39,857,132 | 505,801 |
Most of these accidental deaths are preventable, and many of them could involve the failure of a structural or mechanical component in some form.
Example: Fall from scaffolding or ladder – Was there a stress failure or an error in the design that caused the accident? Possibly, and the only way to fond out is with a competent investigation by an engineer.
What about an accidental firearm discharge? Was there a mechanical design issue with the safety?
Accidental drowning – was a barrier fence not designed properly to prevent children from gaining access to the pool?
Accidents will always happen, but we can reduce them when we pledge to learn from them and take measures to prevent them in the future.
Accident Investigations – Engineering Expert
Our legal system allows persons who suffer injuries due to the action or inaction of others or because of their negligence or malpractice to pursue compensation. Often an engineering expert is called upon to examine and analyze evidence to determine the cause of an accident, and expert witnesses are used to explain complex results and terminology to judges and juries.
Justin Hall, P.E. is often contacted when serious accidents happen because they are experts in investigations and also providing expert witness services. Please call: (501) 436-0091
