Wrongful Death Statistics And Facts

It is common to feel a wide range of emotions after you have lost a loved on in a sudden accident – and most people will feel anger, guilt, confusion, and even resentment. While some of these feelings are simply a natural part of the grieving process, others could be telling you something about the accident: could it have been prevented? Should it have been prevented? Was it someone else’s fault? What it the result of a malfunctioning product, a negligent company, a careless doctor, or a dangerous driver?

Unfortunately, wrongful death cases are all too common in the United States:

• An estimated 90,000 Americans die because of medical mistakes each year in our hospitals – and many researchers believe that the number may be significantly higher. The Journal of the American Medical Association believes that as many as 225,000 people die as a result of medical malpractice each year.
• In recent years, the number of people who die from prescription drugs has skyrocketed to 20,000 deaths per year. Many of these deaths are due to medication errors and negligent doctors.
• Each year in the United States, about 40,000 people die in traffic accidents such as car crashes and truck wrecks. In many cases, victims would not have lost their lives if not for the negligence of others.
• According to the CDC, about 20,000 people die each year in slip and fall accidents. Some of these fall deaths could have been prevented if not for dangerous property conditions or carelessness.
• Just under 6,000 workers lose their lives in on-the-job accidents each year. Some of these deaths happen because of employer mistakes or the failure of companies to follow federal safety regulations.

Has your life been shattered because of the death of a loved one, and do you believe that their death could have and should have been prevented? Make the person or company responsible for the death of your loved on take responsibility for what they have done. Contact a Carolina wrongful death attorney today and tell us your story.

About the Editors: Shapiro, Lewis & Appleton is a law firm whose attorneys focus on injury and accident law and we have experience handling wrongful death cases. We serve every area of North Carolina, including the Outer Banks, Nags Head and the western mountains, as well as all the cities and counties in between. In South Carolina, we cover the state from Myrtle Beach and Charleston to Orangeburg, Columbia, Florence, Rock Hill, Darlington, Aiken, Anderson, Greenville and Spartanburg. 

Rick Shapiro and James Lewis have been listed among the Best Lawyers in America since 2008 and listed in the National Million Dollar Advocates Forum since 2009. Our North Carolina injury law firm has also been named one of the Best Injury Law Firms in North Carolina for personal injury plaintiffs since 2010 by U.S. News & World Report. Additionally, our firm has the highest rating of AV from national lawyer ranking organization Martindale-Hubbell. That means we have a reputation for demonstrating preeminent legal skill.

While not every injury case meets our criteria, we offer free initial confidential injury case consultations. So call us toll-free at (800) 752-0042. If you cannot get through due to high call volume, please leave a voicemail so we can return your call promptly.