A wrongful death is described as the demise of an individual resulting from the negligence or wrongful acts of another person or a group of persons. There are more than a few different ways where this may happen. Even if there are a lot of kinds of wrongful death, over 90,000 of them are caused by medical malpractice annually. Several kinds of wrongful death cases may happen. Statistics are stated below.
All details provided as a reference only, provided on behalf of the New York Construction Accident law firm of Elan Wurtzel P.C.
Car Crashes and Head Trauma
Based on the report of the Center for Disease Control, at least 45,000 individuals lost their lives through vehicular accidents in 2005. As far as accidents leading to death, this is considered as the number one cause of death. At least 5,000 of these fatalities happened due to truck accidents. The report of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration states that at least 17,000 individuals lost their lives due to vehicular accidents involving alcohol. At least 40% of the traffic fatalities which occurred that year were a consequence of driving under the influence.
Brain injuries are another cause of wrongful death. It may have resulted from falling, blows, and oversight of medical practitioners. In a report by the Brain Injury Association of America, more than 50,000 individuals lose their lives annually because of traumatic brain injuries.
Medical Malpractice
Medical malpractice consists of more than a few different possible reasons. This may be the outcome of a careless analysis that is below par with health services, and errors committed during the operation. In a report by the Institute of Medicine, one out of five medical mistakes that are committed may potentially end up in a person’s death. Because of medical errors, almost 100,000 US citizens pass away each year which should otherwise been avoided.
In the Workplace
In a report by the United States Department of Labor, more than 5,800 individuals died at their place of work as a consequence of accidents in the year 2006. These accidents are caused by different causes. Vehicular accidents accounts for 2,500 fatalities and exposure to hazardous equipment or machinery cause almost a thousand. Roughly 830 were a result of falls. Violence resulted to 800 casualties. Exposure to dangerous materials resulted to 550 casualties.
According to the Center for Disease Control, approximately 20,000 deaths are caused by slips and falls in the year 2005. This can be caused by poor lighting, slippery floorings, as well as obstructions. Other reasons consist of unapproved gear, staircases which have no railings, and absence of safety signage.