Accidents can have many tragic results. Sometimes, they lead to a young person losing his or her life. Unfortunately, it appears that this type of tragedy has become increasingly common in the U.S. in recent years.
In 2013, the accidental death rate for Americans ages 10 to 19 was 10.6 deaths per 100,000 people. In 2016, this rate was up to 12 per 100,000. This is a 13 percent increase. Prior to this, there had been a long period of decreases in the accidental death rate for this age group.
Accidental deaths are the top cause of injury-related deaths for Americans in the 10 to 19 age group. The recent surge in accidental deaths has been a big contributor to increases in both injury-related fatalities and fatalities overall in this age range.
What is the top cause of accidental deaths for individuals ages 10 to 19? Motor vehicle accidents hold the No. 1 spot by a wide margin. In 2016, they were behind 62 percent of such fatalities.
Why do you think the U.S. has seen a spike in accidental deaths among young people recently? What efforts would you like to see taken towards reversing this trend?
The loss of a young family member in an accident is truly devastating for a family. Nothing can ever come close to making up for the loss. However, when the negligence of others leads to such a death, families can have important rights related to seeking compensation to help with the financial difficulties that can come in connection to the loss of a loved one. Wrongful death claims are possible a route for pursuing such compensation and justice.