from journal Injury Epidemiology
Almost one in ten people in this country visited the hospital for non-fatal injuries in one recent year. In numbers, more than twelve million injuries from falls or being hit by an object. There were other causes of injury, too, such as car-related unintentional incidents, near drownings and self-harm injuries. The study, from Brown University and the journal Injury Epidemiology, calculated the cost of non-fatal injuries at more than one point eight trillion dollars. That includes total medical spending, future work lost and decreased quality of life. You’ll notice I use the term “unintentional” for many of the injuries, since the lead author of the study, Dr. Mark Zonfrillo, says nearly all injuries are preventable. Be careful out there!