Though we all know that death will eventually come to us and that, no matter how proactive we are about our health and safety, it may come suddenly and unexpectedly, we have no choice but to go living our lives. At times, we all experience anxiety about the risks inherent in the process. In a world where terrorist attacks have become all too common, we cannot help but worry about being attacked in the midst of any average day: in the mall, the airport, at school, at the movies, in the nightclub. Things that we do less frequently — like taking trips, going on daring adventures, undergoing surgery, living through extreme weather events — only raise our level of anxiety.
According to the National Safety Council, many of our worries are disproportionate to the risks involved.
Their annual list of Americans’ “Odds of Dying” gives us the statistical averages of our lifetime odds of dying from various causes. This list was compiled by using fatality data for the entire U.S. population. The reason for releasing this information, as stated by Deborah A.P.Hersman, president and CEO of the National Safety Council, is that “knowing the real odds of dying can empower people to make better choices and result in longer lives.”
Of course, not all personal injuries lead to death, but they may lead to painful or even disabling injuries. If you live in the Greater Houston Area and have suffered a serious personal injury due to the fault of another, you should be sure to contact a competent attorney promptly.
Odds of Dying
While most Americans worry more about dying during a commercial airplane crash than during a car excursion, they are actually 865 times more likely to be killed in a motor vehicle accident than in a plane crash.
Other statistics, some of which are surprising, include that:
- We are much more likely to overdose on an opioid prescription painkiller (1/234) than to be electrocuted (1/12,200)
- Falling is much more likely to take our lives (1/144) than a catastrophic storm (1/6,780)
- The odds are much higher that we will die as passengers in a car(1/470) than that we will perish in a lightning strike (1/164,968)
- We are in much greater danger walking down or crossing the street (1/704) than of being stung by a wasp, bee, or hornet (1/55,764)
- Our chances of dying in an earthquake are far lower (1/179,965) than our chances of dying due to medical or surgical care or mistreatment (1/532)
- We are far more likely to die unintentionally (1/31),by accidental poisoning for example, than we are to die from a deliberate assault with a firearm (1/358)
Of course statistics don’t have too much meaning except when they personally include you or a loved one. While hopefully we all take reasonable precautions in our daily lives, being injured is also unavoidable. If you have suffered a serious or even disabling personal injury during a vehicular accident, at the workplace or anywhere else due to the negligence of malice of another, you should contact a skilled and well-reputed personal injury attorney in your area. Having an expert attorney at your side can make all the difference in terms of your receiving the compensation you’re entitled to for your medical costs, lost wages, and pain and suffering.
