Explore verified U.S. injury statistics, accident fatalities, nonfatal injuries, motor vehicle crashes, workplace accidents, falls, and important national injury trends.
Personal injury statistics in the United States show that injuries caused 271,729 deaths in 2024, according to final CDC data. Of those, 197,449 were unintentional (accidental) injury deaths. NHTSA estimates that 36,640 people died in traffic crashes in 2025, a preliminary projection. BLS recorded 5,070 fatal work injuries in 2024. Nonfatal injuries are measured separately, through hospital visits and employer reports. These figures count injuries and deaths, not personal injury claims or lawsuits.
Personal injury statistics show how often Americans are hurt or killed in crashes, workplaces, falls, and other incidents. National data help researchers, families, journalists, and attorneys understand where injury risks are concentrated. Several federal agencies collect this information, and each measures something different: death certificates, police-reported crashes, employer injury logs, or hospital visits.
Because definitions and reporting years vary, a figure is only meaningful alongside its source, year, and unit. This page brings together the most recent published federal figures available as of October 2026, including 2024 final data, 2025 early estimates, and the first 2026 traffic projection. None of these figures represent personal injury claims or lawsuits.
Each card shows its own reporting year. Figures come from different agencies and measurement systems and should not be added together.
Fatal injury data come from death certificates and count people. Nonfatal injury data usually come from surveys of healthcare encounters and count visits, so one person treated twice is counted twice. The two cannot be added together to produce a total number of injured Americans.
| Statistical Measure | Verified Count | Unit | Year | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| All injury-related deaths | 271,729 | Deaths (79.9 per 100,000) | 2024 final | CDC / NCHS, NVSS |
| Unintentional injury deaths | 197,449 | Deaths (58.1 per 100,000) | 2024 final | CDC / NCHS, NVSS |
| Unintentional poisoning deaths | 75,761 | Deaths | 2024 final | CDC / NCHS, NVSS |
| Injury-related emergency department visits | 43.5 million | Visits (incl. poisoning and adverse effects of treatment) | 2022 | CDC / NCHS, NHAMCS |
| Unintentional injury emergency department visits | 26.2 million | Visits | 2022 | CDC / NCHS, NHAMCS |
| Adults with an activity-limiting injury in the past 3 months | 5.9% | Percent of adults 18+ | 2020–2021 | CDC / NCHS, NHIS |
Sources: CDC National Center for Health Statistics, FastStats "All Injuries" and "Accidents or Unintentional Injuries" (2024 mortality data; pages last reviewed February 2026); National Hospital Ambulatory Medical Care Survey 2022 National Summary Tables; NCHS Data Brief "Activity-limiting Injury in Adults: United States, 2020–2021." Emergency department figures are visits, not unique people.
NHTSA's most recent full-year figure is an early estimate for 2025. Detailed counts by road-user type are currently available only through 2024. NHTSA has also released a first-quarter 2026 projection: an estimated 7,770 deaths from January to March 2026, about 4.3% fewer than the projected first quarter of 2025.
| Accident Category | Verified Statistic | Measure | Year | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| All motor vehicle crashes | 36,640 Preliminary | Fatalities | 2025 | NHTSA early estimate |
| All motor vehicle crashes | 39,254 | Fatalities | 2024 | NHTSA FARS (ARF) |
| All motor vehicle crashes | 2,422,195 | People injured (estimate) | 2024 | NHTSA CRSS |
| Motorcycle accidents | 6,228 | Motorcyclists killed | 2024 | NHTSA |
| Motorcycle accidents | 86,887 | Motorcyclists injured (estimate) | 2024 | NHTSA |
| Pedestrian accidents | 7,080 | Pedestrians killed | 2024 | NHTSA |
| Pedestrian accidents | 71,635 | Pedestrians injured (estimate) | 2024 | NHTSA |
| Bicycle accidents | 1,103 | Pedalcyclists killed | 2024 | NHTSA |
| Bicycle accidents | 52,887 | Pedalcyclists injured (estimate) | 2024 | NHTSA |
| Large truck accidents | 5,340 | People killed in crashes involving a large truck | 2024 | NHTSA |
Sources: NHTSA, "Early Estimate of Motor Vehicle Traffic Fatalities and Fatality Rate in 2025" (DOT HS 813 800, April 2026); NHTSA Traffic Safety Facts 2024 Data fact sheets for Pedestrians, Bicyclists and Other Cyclists, Motorcycles, and Large Trucks (June–July 2026); "Early Estimate of Motor Vehicle Traffic Fatalities and Fatality Rate for the First Quarter of 2026" (July 2026). FARS counts deaths within 30 days of a crash on a public trafficway. Injury counts are survey-based estimates.
NHTSA's 2025 sub-category projections indicate fewer deaths among passenger vehicle occupants (down 10%), motorcyclists (down 8%), pedestrians (down 8%), and in crashes involving large trucks (down 7%), while pedalcyclist deaths were projected up 4%. These percentages are preliminary. Road-user categories overlap (a pedestrian killed by a truck appears in both rows), so the rows should not be summed.
BLS publishes two separate programs. The Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries (CFOI) is a count of verified work-related deaths across all sectors. The Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses (SOII) is an estimate based on employer injury logs and covers private industry in the figures below. BLS has scheduled 2025 SOII data for release on November 18, 2026.
| Category | Count | Year | BLS Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fatal occupational injuries (all sectors) | 5,070 | 2024 | CFOI |
| Fatal transportation incidents | 1,937 | 2024 | CFOI |
| Fatal falls, slips, and trips | 844 | 2024 | CFOI |
| Fatal violence and other injuries by persons or animals | 733 | 2024 | CFOI |
| Fatal exposure to harmful substances or environments | 687 | 2024 | CFOI |
| Fatalities, construction and extraction occupations | 1,032 | 2024 | CFOI |
| Nonfatal injury and illness cases (private industry) | 2,488,400 | 2024 | SOII (estimate) |
| Cases involving days away from work (private industry) | 888,100 | 2024 | SOII (estimate) |
Sources: BLS, "Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries Summary, 2024" (USDL-26-0230, released February 19, 2026); BLS, "Employer-Reported Workplace Injuries and Illnesses, 2023–2024" (released January 22, 2026). The construction figure is by occupation group, not industry.
Workers' compensation claims and personal injury lawsuits are separate legal systems. A BLS-recorded workplace injury does not indicate whether a compensation claim was filed, and in most states workers' compensation limits lawsuits against employers, though claims against third parties may still exist.
Falls appear in several datasets that measure different populations. CDC counts fall deaths of all ages and locations, BLS counts falls tied to work, and older adult figures isolate people 65 and older. Because these overlap, they cannot be combined.
| Fall Measure | Count | Year | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unintentional fall deaths, all ages | 48,308 | 2024 final | CDC / NCHS |
| Unintentional fall deaths, adults 65+ | 41,400 | 2023 final | CDC / NCHS Data Brief No. 532 |
| Fatal workplace falls, slips, and trips | 844 | 2024 | BLS CFOI |
| Days-away-from-work cases from falls, slips, trips (private industry) | 479,480 | 2024 | BLS SOII |
Sources: CDC NCHS FastStats (2024 mortality); NCHS Data Brief No. 532, "Unintentional Fall Deaths in Adults Age 65 and Older: United States, 2023" (June 2025); BLS Injuries, Illnesses, and Fatalities program. The all-ages 2024 figure and the 65+ 2023 figure are different years and overlapping populations.
Most fall deaths occur among older adults, and many happen at home. A fall statistic is not a slip-and-fall premises liability case, and a fall alone does not establish negligence or legal liability.
National statistics are strongest for deaths and weakest for specific injury diagnoses. Where no current, consistent national count exists, this section describes the injury type rather than citing a number.
CDC reports 68,663 TBI-related deaths in 2023 and about 214,110 TBI-related hospitalizations in 2020. These exclude TBIs treated only in emergency departments or outpatient care.
Most concussions are treated outside hospitals or not treated at all. CDC is building a national concussion surveillance system; no single current national count is available.
Spinal cord injuries are commonly linked to vehicle crashes and falls, but federal agencies do not publish a current annual national incidence count comparable to the figures above.
Fractures are frequently associated with falls, particularly among older adults. Counts are generally embedded in emergency department and hospitalization data rather than reported separately.
In private industry, sprains, strains, and tears accounted for 568,150 days-away-from-work cases in 2024 (BLS SOII). Comparable non-work national counts are not published.
These appear in hospital and occupational data, but no single current national total is verified for this page.
Traffic deaths have fallen each year since 2021, and NHTSA describes the fourth quarter of 2025 as the 15th consecutive quarterly decline. Its 2025 fatality rate of 1.10 deaths per 100 million vehicle miles traveled is projected to be the second lowest on record. Fatal work injuries fell for a second straight year in 2024, with BLS attributing much of the drop to fewer overdose deaths at work. CDC's unintentional injury deaths fell from 222,698 in 2023 to 197,449 in 2024, an 11.3% decrease. These are separate measures, and the data do not by themselves explain why the changes occurred.
| Year | Traffic Fatalities (NHTSA) | Change | Fatal Work Injuries (BLS CFOI) | Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 43,230 (final) | — | 5,190 | — |
| 2022 | 42,721 (final) | −1.2% | 5,486 | +5.7% |
| 2023 | 41,025 (final) | −4.0% | 5,283 | −3.7% |
| 2024 | 39,254 (ARF) | −4.3% | 5,070 | −4.0% |
| 2025 | 36,640 Preliminary | −6.7% | Not yet published | — |
Sources: NHTSA DOT HS 813 800 (April 2026), Table 1; BLS CFOI Table 1, 2020–24 (February 2026). Percentage change = ((new − previous) ÷ previous) × 100, rounded to one decimal.
| Accident Type | Most Recent Verified Figure or Data Status |
|---|---|
| Car accidents | 36,640 traffic deaths, 2025 (NHTSA early estimate); 2,422,195 people injured, 2024 (NHTSA estimate) |
| Truck accidents | 5,340 deaths in crashes involving large trucks, 2024 (NHTSA) |
| Motorcycle accidents | 6,228 motorcyclists killed, 2024 (NHTSA) |
| Pedestrian accidents | 7,080 pedestrians killed in traffic crashes, 2024 (NHTSA) |
| Bicycle accidents | 1,103 pedalcyclists killed, 2024 (NHTSA) |
| Workplace accidents | 5,070 fatal work injuries, 2024 (BLS CFOI) |
| Construction accidents | 1,032 deaths among construction and extraction workers, 2024 (BLS CFOI) |
| Falls | 48,308 unintentional fall deaths, 2024 (CDC / NCHS) |
| Dog bites | No current verified national annual count is included; available estimates use differing methods. |
| Defective products | The Consumer Product Safety Commission tracks product-related injuries, but no figure isolating defective products is verified here. |
| Medical negligence | No comparable official national count of negligence-related injuries exists. |
| Boating accidents | The U.S. Coast Guard publishes annual recreational boating statistics; a current figure was not verified for this page. |
All figures are agency counts or estimates of deaths and injuries. None are civil case filings.
No. Accident and injury statistics measure events, injuries, deaths, or healthcare encounters. They do not automatically measure personal injury claims or lawsuits.
For these reasons, there is no single complete national database of personal injury claims, settlements, or compensation amounts, and this page does not estimate them.
| Organization | Main Statistical Coverage | Latest Data Used Here |
|---|---|---|
| CDC (NCHS), WISQARS | Injury mortality from death certificates; nonfatal injury visits from surveys | 2024 final mortality; 2022 ED visits; 2023 TBI deaths |
| NHTSA | Traffic crashes, injuries, and fatalities (FARS census; CRSS estimates) | 2024 ARF; 2025 and Q1 2026 early estimates |
| BLS | Occupational injuries, illnesses, and fatalities (CFOI, SOII) | 2024 |
| OSHA | Workplace safety standards, inspections, and hazard information | Context only; no OSHA counts used |
Federal injury data are published with delays of one to two years. Agencies use different definitions: NHTSA counts traffic deaths within 30 days of a crash, while CDC uses death certificates, so CDC's 2024 motor vehicle traffic death count (41,241) differs from NHTSA's (39,254). Some figures are complete counts, while others are survey estimates with margins of error. Preliminary results, such as NHTSA's 2025 projection, are revised when final files are released. Overlapping datasets create duplicate-counting risks, so figures from different tables should not be summed. All figures cover the United States only and come from federal government sources.
Last Reviewed: October 13, 2026
No dataset counts every injured person. The closest national measure is CDC's estimate of 26.2 million emergency department visits for unintentional injuries in 2022. These are visits, not unique people, and they exclude injuries treated elsewhere or not treated at all.
Unintentional poisoning, which includes most drug overdoses, was the leading cause in 2024, with 75,761 deaths according to CDC. Falls (48,308) and motor vehicle traffic (41,241) followed. These are unintentional deaths only and exclude suicides and homicides.
NHTSA estimates 36,640 traffic deaths in 2025, a preliminary projection that will be revised. The most recent reported annual count is 39,254 deaths in 2024. NHTSA counts deaths within 30 days of a crash on public roads.
Private-industry employers reported about 2.5 million nonfatal injury and illness cases in 2024, a rate of 2.3 per 100 full-time workers, according to BLS. Separately, 5,070 workers died from work-related injuries in 2024 across all sectors.
It depends on the measure. CDC recorded 48,308 unintentional fall deaths in 2024. Among adults 65 and older, CDC reported 41,400 unintentional fall deaths in 2023. No single dataset captures every fall in the country.
Not in the categories with recent comparable data. Traffic deaths, fatal work injuries, and unintentional injury deaths all declined in 2024, and NHTSA projects a further traffic decline in 2025. Trends differ by category, so no single trend describes every type of injury.
No. Government injury statistics count deaths, injuries, crashes, and healthcare visits. Insurance claims are held by private insurers, and lawsuits are spread across state and federal courts. There is no comprehensive public national dataset of personal injury claims or settlements.
The main official sources are the CDC's National Center for Health Statistics and WISQARS for injury deaths and visits, NHTSA for traffic crashes, and the Bureau of Labor Statistics for workplace injuries. OSHA provides workplace safety information.
National injury statistics describe general patterns but cannot determine whether a particular person has a valid legal claim. That depends on negligence, liability, available injury evidence, applicable state laws, filing deadlines, and individual circumstances. FindTheLawyers helps you explore lawyers by practice area, by state, or by city, so a licensed attorney near you can review the details of your situation.
Legal Disclaimer: The statistics on this page are provided for general informational and educational purposes only. Figures reflect the reporting years, definitions, methodologies, and limitations of the agencies that published them, and may be revised or updated. Data from different sources may not be directly comparable. Accident and injury counts do not represent personal injury claims, lawsuits, or settlements, and published injury data do not establish negligence or liability in any individual case. This page is not legal or medical advice. FindTheLawyers is not acting as your attorney, and viewing this page does not create an attorney-client relationship. No legal or compensation outcome is guaranteed.
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