Our kids are not alright. In fact, they’re now at an increased risk for sustaining a fatal accident. Between 1999 and 2013, the accidental death rate for children between the ages of 10 and 19 declined 49%. Safety experts believed that we were all on the right track for living longer and safer lives, and for keeping our kids out of harm’s way. But now, a new report looking at fatal accidents and the youth from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that between 2013 and 2016, accidental deaths were up a staggering 13%. These fatalities were mostly due to injury-related deaths, such as traffic accidents, drug overdoses, and suicides.
The report reviewed death certificates in all 50 states and the District of Columbia between 1999 and 2016. The data was analyzed to look closely at the age of the person who died and their reported cause of death. Unintentional injuries were the leading cause of death in those children and teenagers between 10 and 19 years of age. Motor vehicle accidents accounted for the majority of these deaths – a whopping 62%. Poisoning came in second, causing 16% of all accidental deaths, and drowning came in third, causing 7% of all accidental deaths. It is important to know that poisoning deaths do include drug overdoses.
Even more shocking is that suicide rates have increased. From 1999 to 2007, suicide rates dropped 15%. In 2016, however, the rate increased 56%! That year alone, the three leading methods of suicide were suffocation, firearms, and poisoning. Firearms accounted for 43% of all suicides.
Another study in JAMA found that accidental death rates were also increasing in teens and young adults between 15 and 34 years old. From 2012 to 2016 unintentional injuries including motor vehicle crashes, drug overdoses, poisoning, drowning, suicides, and homicides were all increasing.
Safety experts and health professionals believe that this should be a wake up call for all Americans and especially for parents of young children. Mental health services, injury prevention, gun safety and reform, and car and driver safety and education need our support and financial resources at this time.
If you or someone you love has been injured in an accident in Arvada, Northglenn, Thornton, or anywhere in Northern Colorado, you need experienced legal counsel you can trust. At Hull & Zimmerman, P.C., our committed personal injury lawyers are dedicated to the belief that everyone deserves justice. Contact us at (303) 423-1770 or (866) 385-3505.
Our personal injury lawyers have extensive experience representing injured accident victims in Broomfield, Arvada, Superior, Lafayette, Louisville, Erie, Brighton, Commerce City, Northglenn, Westminster, Thornton, Longmont, and throughout Colorado.
At Hull & Zimmerman, P.C., we are honored to help accident victims in their time of need, and take our responsibility as personal injury lawyers incredibly seriously. We know how important it is for victims to secure the full and fair compensation they need following a serious accident, and that is why we take a hands-on, personalized approach to every case we handle.
awarded to a woman who was a victim of a car crash. The woman was driving the highway when the other driver approaching from the opposite direction lost control of his vehicle, crossed the center line and hit her head on. She suffered multiple broken bones, including her hip, pelvis, leg, and right arm. She missed several years of work as a result of her injuries. Read More
awarded to a woman who was the victim of a t-bone car crash. The client suffered multiple injuries. The most significant of which was a head injury. While she was ultimately able to return to work on a part-time basis, Plaintiff was never able to return to work on a full-time basis. Read More
settlement awarded to a lady who suffered a head injury. She slipped and fell in a slanted parking lot at her place of employment. Evidence demonstrated that the owner of the building had constructed a fence shading the parking lot such that ice was allowed to continuously accumulate during the winter months. Multiple people had fallen on the ice prior to the client’s fall. As a result of her injuries, Plaintiff was forced to take early retirement. Read More
awarded to a man whose vehicle was hit from behind by a semi. The injured party suffered back pain and rotator cuff tears in each shoulder and was forced to retire from his job doing road repair four years earlier. Read More
settlement (policy limits) awarded to a young man who lost his eye when another child shot an arrow into the air. Read More
settlement obtained for a man who was injured in a rear end automobile accident. He suffered a herniated disc in his low back which was not well resolved by surgery forcing him to leave his employment as an apartment maintenance manager. Read More
awarded to a gentleman in association with a workman’s compensation case. He initially sustained a head injury at work when attacked by a patient. Several years later, his condition worsened resulting in his inability to return to work in his usual job. Read More
settlement achieved in a legal malpractice case. The client initially suffered a herniated disc in her neck in association with an automobile accident. The attorney failed to file the lawsuit in a timely manner and the Plaintiff was initially denied her ability to achieve any monies from the original lawsuit. Read More
settlement awarded to a man who was a victim of an automobile accident. Plaintiff was a passenger who was rear-ended by another driver. Following the accident, he suffered a long term back injury. Read More
settlement awarded to a lady who aggravated a pre-existing back condition when she slipped and fell at the entrance to a casino. Read More
awarded to a woman who suffered a rotator cuff tear from an automobile accident. Read More