They say that the only two sure things in life are death and taxes. While that’s a bleak outlook, it is technically true that both of those things impact everyone at some point. So, while there’s a 100 percent chance that you’ll pass away eventually, what are the odds of dying in various, preventable ways?
According to the Insurance Information Institute, a person who was born back in 2013 had a one in 20 chance of being killed by an injury. This could include injuries from a fall at work, a catastrophic car accident, an assault or many causes. It simply excludes things like sickness and old age.
In 2013, there were 35,369 deaths from car accidents alone. That mean that the one-year odds of being killed in a motor vehicle accident were one in 8,938. The lifetime odds of being killed in a car crash were one in 113.
Of the causes examined, car accidents were the highest by quite a bit. Second on the list was assault using a firearm. There were 11,207 such deaths in 2013, putting the one-year odds at 1 in 28,208. The lifetime odds were one in 358.
Falls were so common they were broken into different categories. For instance, the lifetime odds of dying from falling on the stairs were 1 in 1,797, while the lifetime odds of falling from a ladder were 1 in 9,552.
At the bottom of the list was lightning strikes. The lifetime odds of being hit and killed by lightning sit at just 1 in 174,426.
When a loved one is killed through negligence and recklessness, the family members may be able to seek compensation. Clearly, since there is a 1one in 20 chance that an injury will be the cause of death, it’s critical to know how this process works.
Source: Insurance Information Institute, “Mortality Risk,” accessed Nov. 19, 2016
