Accidents happen, every day. At some stage in our lifetime, we will all experience them. Most of the time they are really more like mishaps. Incidents that leave us with no serious injuries. But, not everyone can be that lucky. Every year, hundreds of thousands end up having to make a personal injury claim because they have been hurt at work, home or on the street.
Road traffic accidents
Unsurprisingly, road traffic accidents top the global personal injury list. The fact that vehicle usage is growing means that this is likely to continue to be the case.
According to the World Health Organization, around 1.35 million people lose their lives as a result of vehicle accidents. They estimate that between 20 and 50 million people suffer an injury that is serious enough to stop them from working. In most countries, this leads to a loss of around 3% GDP.
When people cannot work as the result of an injury they are far more likely to have to make a personal injury claim. If you would like to learn more about this subject you can do so by visiting this Gaffney personal injury lawyer site.
Slip and fall-related personal injury claims
Again, according to the World Health Organization, falls are responsible for the death of 646,000 people in the average year. They state that they are the second most common form of accidental death.
Also, around 37.3 million people have to seek medical attention after a fall. The statistics include what are commonly known as slip and fall accidents. That means that the person has not fallen from a high height. They have simply slipped on something or tripped over an object. Proving that the accident does not have to be a dramatic one for a serious injury to occur.
Interestingly, children are just as at risk of injury as adults are. They do not “bounce” as much as we think they do. So, educating your children to be on the lookout for slip and trip hazards is a good idea.
Work-related personal injury claims
Some of these slip and fall accidents occur in the workplace. But, they are far from the only type of accident.
According to the International Labour Organization (ILO), worldwide, around 340 million workplace accidents occur, each year. Of those, at least 2.3 million results in injuries that require medical treatment.
Also, each year, around 160 million people are diagnosed with a work-related illness. Many of these cases are so serious that they result in the untimely death of the worker. Worse, the ILO believes that most types of workplace injuries are being under-reported. So, you do need to pay particular attention when at work.
The above makes for sobering reading. But, these statistics do remind us of the need to be aware of hazards and do our best to avoid them. Although, as you can see from this article it is also possible to be injured in almost unbelievable circumstances. Some of the accidents you will read about there are downright bizarre.