Personal Injury Statistics Leading to Lawsuits and Settlements

Personal Injury Statistics Leading to  Lawsuits and Settlements

Automobile accidents are the most likely cause of personal injury for most people, and the frequency with which they occur is alarming.  In New Jersey, personal injury attorneys are faced with litigating multiple cases due to approximately 260,000 vehicle accidents each year.

In 2008, of those accidents:

• 556 involved fatalities
• 65,267 involved injuries
• 193,145 involved only damage to property

The good news is that the number and fatality rate is declining in New Jersey.  For example, listed below are the statistics for the preceding two years:

Car Accident Statistics in 2006

• 662 fatal crashes
• 67,100 accidents involving injuries
• 187,663 involving only property damage

Car Accident Statistics in 2007

• 645 fatal crashes
• 65,857 accidents involving injuries
• 197,023 involving only property damage

With an increase in cracking down on unsafe drivers and drivers who are under the influence of drugs or alcohol, officials hope to see the downward trend in automobile accidents continue.
The second most likely cause of a personal injury lawsuit is likely to be slip and fall accidents.  According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), falls are the leading cause of non-fatal injuries to children from the ages of 0 to 19.  Approximately 8,000 children are treated in emergency rooms each day – or about 2.8 million each year.
For older people, every 18 seconds, an older adult is treated in the emergency room for a fall, and every 35 minutes, an older adult dies from the injuries suffered in a fall, according to the CDC.  One in three older adults falls each year in the United States, a number expected to increase with the aging of the baby boomers.

Another common cause leading to a personal injury lawsuit or settlement?  Dog bites.  An astonishing 4.7 million people, according to the CDC, are bitten by dogs each year.  Eight hundred thousand people seek medical treatment for their injuries.  In New Jersey, dog owners are held to a strict liability standard, which means generally that the owner is responsible for the dog’s actions (with exceptions).  Dog bites are always ranked among the most preventable of personal injuries, and ongoing education for pet owners as well as visitors is an effort to reduce the high incidence of dog bites.