- Unintentional falls are the primary reason for non-fatal injuries in America, with an estimated 5,598,438 incidents yearly and costing more than $45.38 billion.
- Unintentional poisoning, covering everything from drug overdoses to harmful toxins, came second, with approximately 1,712,272 incidents each year.
- Unintentional firearm incidents are the least common, accounting for only 26,830 emergency room visits, but cost the most per visit at $9.954.
A new study reveals the non-fatal injuries that most frequently land Americans in the emergency room and their inherent costs.
The analysis undertaken by experienced personal injury attorneys John Foy & Associates, used the latest data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to uncover the leading injuries prompting adults to seek emergency medical assistance and their associated medical bills.
Unintentional falls are the primary reason for non-fatal injuries in America, leading to approximately 5,598,438 ER visits each year for people of all ages and genders. Such accidents often arise from slippery, cluttered, or unstable walking/working areas. These injuries typically stem from hitting a surface at the same or a lower level after a sudden drop, mainly influenced by gravitational forces. Yearly, accidental falls cost Americans $45.93 billion in medical bills, with each visit charged at $8,204 on average.
Unintentional poisoning ranks as the second most common cause, affecting approximately 1,712,272 individuals annually and costing an average of $6,891 per visit. This category represents a significant source of ER visits nationwide, from drug overdoses to the harmful effects of various toxins. It's important to note that this category refers explicitly to injuries from the ingestion, inhalation, injection, or absorption of drugs, toxins, or other chemical agents. It doesn't include adverse reactions from correctly administered therapeutic drugs or bacterial illnesses like food poisoning. Unintentional poisoning costs Americans around $11.08 billion each year in medical fees.
Accidental impacts from humans, animals, or non-living objects rank third, accounting for 1,591,827 visits annually, adding to around $8.61 billion in medical fees. Such incidents usually involve individuals being hit by objects, animals, or people, excluding vehicles or machinery. These can happen in various situations, including at workplaces, during dog walks, or while rollerblading on the beach, and costs Americans $5,409 per visit on average.
Motor vehicle occupant injuries from collisions and other incidents rank fourth, with approximately 1,541,393 visits costing $7.11 billion annually. This category pertains explicitly to injuries drivers and passengers suffer in vehicles such as cars, pickup trucks, SUVs, vans, heavy transport vehicles, and buses. These injuries are typically a result of incidents involving other vehicles, objects, or external factors. They are primarily associated with traffic-related accidents on public roadways, and each visit comes with a medical cost of around $4,613.
Unintentionally cut or pierced is the fifth most common reason, accounting for an estimated 1,293,773 visits and $3.95 billion in hospital fees annually. Accidental incisions, slashes, perforations, punctures, and lacerations from household or occupational objects are typical examples of this non-fatal injury and carry an average cost of $3,053 per visit.
Overexertion ranks as the sixth-leading cause of emergency department visits, with over 1,272,977 cases reported annually. This encompasses injuries stemming from intense activities such as heavy lifting or forceful actions, often leading to damage to muscles, tendons, ligaments, cartilage, joints, or peripheral nerves.
Examples include strains and sprains unrelated to falls, injuries from excessive force like stretching by another individual or object, and those resulting from pushing or pulling actions. The financial burden of overexertion on the American public is substantial, with medical bills amounting to approximately $6.81 billion annually, or about $5,350 per visit.
Unintentional bites and stings come in seventh, leading to approximately 427,255 emergency department visits annually. This category covers a range of injuries from sources like humans, animals, snakes, lizards, insects, spiders, bees, wasps, and scorpions, as well as stings from coral or jellyfish. It also includes injuries caused by skin penetration due to poisonous or nonpoisonous plant parts.
Notably, within this category, specific incidents like dog bites are separately reportable, especially if they lead to hospitalization after ED treatment or if treatment is followed by release. The annual financial impact of these injuries amounts to roughly $1.27 billion, translating to an average cost of $2,972 per visit.
Other transport-related injuries rank eighth, totaling about 350,007 cases annually. These include accidents from railway trains, streetcars, ATVs, go-karts, space transport, and pedestrians hit by motorcycles, bicycles, or trains. The annual financial burden is $2.19 billion, averaging $6,054 per visit.
Presence of a foreign body is the ninth leading cause, with around 277,922 yearly incidents. Such incidents could involve accidental ingestion or insertion of foreign objects, such as toys, pebbles, or dirt, into the eye or other orifices of the body. The annual cost is $1.43 billion, averaging $5,145 per visit.
Rounding off the top ten is unintentional pedal cyclist injuries, with 229,312 incidents. These encompass incidents with bicycles, mountain bikes, tricycles, and unicycles due to collisions, loss of control, or other events, both on and off public roadways. The yearly financial burden is $1.46 billion, averaging $6,367 per visit.
John Foy, founder of John Foy & Associates, commented on the findings:
“The data provided further important insights, when looking at sex differences between male and female ER visits. For instance, women are more frequently victims of dog bites than men, which could be in part due to the fact that more than 70% of dog walkers are female.
“Additionally, the data suggests that occupants of larger vehicles, such as cars, trucks, or buses, are 590% more likely to sustain non-fatal injuries than motorcyclists.
“It's also noteworthy that overexertion alone results in more emergency room trips than dog bites, pedal cycle incidents, and bites and stings combined.”
END
About John Foy & Associates:
John Foy & Associates helps victims of catastrophic injury, wrongful death, workplace accidents, and defective drugs. The firm has been serving the community for over 25 years, helping their clients secure the compensation they deserve.
Sources:
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Methodology:
The research utilized the latest data from the CDC to identify the leading causes of non-fatal injuries among American adults aged 18-85+. Child-specific injuries were excluded to prevent skewness. Injuries were categorized and ranked based on the estimated number of emergency room visits caused. The data was then cleaned to make it easily digestible, with ‘unknown’ or ‘unspecified’ injuries removed. Patterns, like gender differences in injury types, were also investigated to provide insightful conclusions.
Images of the tables used in this release can be found here:
https://drive.google.com/
The leading causes of non-fatal injury in men | ||
Rank | Cause of emergency room visit | Estimated number of emergency room visits |
1. | Unintentional fall | 2,422,822 |
2. | Unintentional poisoning | 1,162,368 |
3. | Unintentionally struck by or against object/animal/person | 945,134 |
4. | Unintentionally cut or pierced | 836,243 |
5. | Unintentional motor vehicle occupant injury | 754,326 |
The leading causes of non-fatal injury in women | ||
Rank | Cause of emergency room visit | Estimated number of emergency room visits |
1. | Unintentional fall | 3,175,566 |
2. | Unintentional motor vehicle occupant injury | 787,044 |
3. | Unintentionally struck by or against object/animal/person | 646,693 |
4. | Unintentional overexertion | 626,959 |
5. | Unintentional poisoning | 549,420 |
Information courtesy of: https://www.johnfoy.com
Journo Research operates as johnfoy.com’s Digital PR agency.
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