Personal injuries happen all of the time in the United States. A death resulting from an injury can fall into the category of wrongful death if the situation meets specific legal requirements.
If the evidence shows that the death was preventable, someone might have exposure to liability. Several types of accidents show up frequently in wrongful death lawsuits.
Motor vehicle deaths
According to information from the CDC, motor vehicle accidents cause a high number of preventable deaths. In 2020, data showed that just over 40,000 people died in the U.S. as a result of auto accidents. Since each of these deaths has some degree of preventability, these fatalities could result in lawsuits that seek damages. Fatal motor vehicle accidents have a wide range of causes that involve some form of negligence:
- Driving while intoxicated
- Distracted driving
- Improper road construction
- Reckless driving
- Driving too fast for the conditions
Unintentional fall deaths
In 2020, more than 42,000 people died from injuries as a result of unintentional falls. This can happen for many reasons and sometimes involves a business failing to provide a safe environment for customers. Many elderly individuals succumb to falls. Falls can cause traumatic brain injuries that lead to death.
Poisoning deaths
The CDC says that poisoning incidents resulted in 87,404 deaths in 2020. This remained the largest cause of unintentional deaths for that year. Many of these deaths come from drug overdoses and data suggests drug overdoses continue to rise. Other unintentional poisonings involve an array of household and workplace chemicals.
Both personal injuries and wrongful deaths cause extensive personal suffering. Finding the truth at the core of an accident often requires a high level of legal experience.