How Many Accidental Deaths Per Year Occur? (2025)

Statisticians categorize deaths into three categories: unintentional, intentional, and natural. Natural deaths happen when someone dies from a disease, illness, or infection. Intentional deaths result from homicide or suicide. Unintentional deaths, also called accidental deaths, result from preventable or avoidable causes.

This last category covers many causes of death. Car accidents, falls, which can involve premises liability, and even accidental drug overdoses fall within this category. Statistics gathered by the National Safety Council tell you how many accidental deaths occur per year and your lifetime odds of dying in an accident.

The Early Years: Accidental Death Statistics

In 1980, there were 103,281 accidental deaths. By 1981, the deaths had decreased to 98,155, and they kept falling to 91,497 in 1982, and even lower to 89,828 by 1983.

Accidental Deaths Per Year in the Late 20th Century

The late '80s and '90s observed a more pronounced decline in accidental death statistics returned by a query on the CDC’s Mortality Data search engine. The numbers saw a steady decrease, with 1987 reporting 91,988, which further fell to 97,860 by the end of the 1990s.

The Turn of the Century: Stabilization and Shock

As the new millennium began, the rates of accidental deaths seemed to level off. However, the early 2000s saw a gradual yet consistent increase, starting from just under a hundred thousand to over a hundred twenty thousand by 2006. This trend of rising accidental deaths continued in the years that followed, raising concerns.

A New Era of Challenges: The 2010s Onwards

The last ten years have been especially troubling, with how many accidental deaths per year growing faster than before. This period has been marked by new challenges, such as the opioid crisis. By 2020, the number had risen to just under 200,000. It continued to grow, reaching nearly 224,000 in 2021. In 2022, it went even higher, but slightly dropped to 223,000 in 2023.

In 2021, unintentional injuries became the third most common cause of death after heart disease and cancer. The explosion in unintentional drug overdoses pushed accidental deaths to their highest point in U.S. history.

The leading causes of accidental death include:

• Unintentional poisoning, including drug overdoses
• Falls, including same-elevation falls and elevated falls, which are frequent in construction accidents
• Traffic accidents, including car accidents, cyclist accidents and pedestrian accidents
• Drowning
• Burn injuries and smoke inhalation

Although the annual number of car accidents is staggering, you are most likely to suffer a fatal accidental injury in your home. Well over half of all injury-related deaths happen in residences.

Legal Right to Accident Compensation

The families of accident victims have the right to pursue wrongful death compensation when the victim dies due to someone else’s actions.

For example, the family can sue an asbestos manufacturer after a loved one dies of mesothelioma. The goal of this claim is to obtain an asbestos claim settlement that covers medical costs, income losses, and pain and suffering.

Learn More About Accidental Death From ConsumerShield

The statistics showing how many accidental deaths per year occur in the U.S. are shocking. However, families have rights after losing a loved one to an accident caused by another person or business.

ConsumerSheild educates people about their legal options and provides referrals to lawyers who can help recover compensation. Contact us for a free case evaluation.