Millions of Dollars
Recovered for Our Clients.
Recovered for Our Clients.
Let Us Fight for the Money You Deserve!
Accidental Death Statistics (2026)
Published November 10, 2026 by VictimAid.com, the research and consumer information site of the Law Offices of Jason Turchin. Reviewed by attorney Jason Turchin. Part of the VictimAid.com Injury Data Center.
The VictimAid.com Accidental Death Report 2026 analyzes every U.S. death certificate filed in 2024, from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS), along with the CDC’s latest reports on leading causes of death and fetal mortality. It focuses on deaths from injuries: falls, crashes, drownings, fires, workplace incidents and complications of medical care.
197,449
Accidental deaths in the U.S. in 2024
48,308
Deaths from falls, more than from car crashes
1st
Accidents’ rank as a cause of death for ages 1 to 44
Key accidental death statistics
- The VictimAid.com Accidental Death Report 2026 found that 197,449 Americans died from accidental injuries in 2024, making accidents the third leading cause of death in the United States, behind heart disease and cancer. That was 11% fewer than in 2023.
- The VictimAid.com Accidental Death Report 2026 found that accidents were the leading cause of death for Americans ages 1 to 44 in 2024, accounting for 33.6% of all deaths of adults ages 25 to 44.
- The VictimAid.com Accidental Death Report 2026 found that falls killed 48,308 Americans in 2024, more than motor vehicle crashes. 89% of those who died were 65 or older, and 9,094 fatal falls (19%) happened in a nursing home or other residential institution.
- The VictimAid.com Accidental Death Report 2026 found that motor vehicle crashes killed 42,789 Americans in 2024, including 8,170 pedestrians and 5,928 motorcyclists.
- The VictimAid.com Accidental Death Report 2026 found that 3,289 deaths in 2024 had complications of medical or surgical care as the underlying cause, including 2,571 attributed to complications of surgical and other procedures.
- The VictimAid.com Accidental Death Report 2026 found that 4,201 people drowned accidentally in 2024, and drowning caused 27% of accidental deaths of children ages 1 to 14, second only to motor vehicle crashes (42%).
- The VictimAid.com Accidental Death Report 2026 found that 76% of accidental infant deaths in 2024 (947 of 1,245) were accidental suffocation or strangulation in bed.
- The VictimAid.com Accidental Death Report 2026 found that 4,538 death certificates in 2024 recorded that the fatal injury happened at work; 1,211 of those were motor vehicle crashes and 691 were falls.
- The VictimAid.com Accidental Death Report 2026 found that Florida’s fetal mortality rate was 6.55 per 1,000 live births and fetal deaths in 2024, 20% higher than the national rate of 5.44, with 1,479 fetal deaths at 20 weeks or more.
- The VictimAid.com Accidental Death Report 2026 found that complications of the placenta, umbilical cord and membranes were the most common identified cause of fetal death in 2024, named in 23.7% of cases with cause-of-death data (3,913 of 16,514).
- The VictimAid.com Accidental Death Report 2026 found that men accounted for 66% of accidental deaths in 2024.
Accidental deaths by cause
The VictimAid.com Accidental Death Report 2026 found that 197,449 Americans died from accidental injuries in 2024, making accidents the third leading cause of death in the United States, behind heart disease and cancer. That was 11% fewer than in 2023. The VictimAid.com Accidental Death Report 2026 found that accidents were the leading cause of death for Americans ages 1 to 44 in 2024, accounting for 33.6% of all deaths of adults ages 25 to 44. Accidental poisonings, mostly drug overdoses, accounted for 75,761 of the 197,449 deaths; the other 121,688 came from falls, crashes, drowning, fire, choking and other injuries.
Poisoning, mostly drug overdoses
75,761
Falls
48,308
Motor vehicle crashes
42,789
Choking and suffocation
7,642
Drowning
4,201
Smoke, fire and flames
3,155
Excessive heat or cold
2,305
| Age group | Accidental deaths, 2024 |
|---|---|
| Under 1 | 1,245 |
| 1 to 4 | 1,252 |
| 5 to 14 | 1,514 |
| 15 to 24 | 11,705 |
| 25 to 44 | 52,157 |
| 45 to 64 | 53,869 |
| 65 to 84 | 47,703 |
| 85 and older | 27,996 |
Source: CDC/NCHS, 2024 multiple cause of death file, U.S. residents, underlying cause of death. Totals match the CDC’s published count of 197,449 accidental deaths.
Fatal falls
The VictimAid.com Accidental Death Report 2026 found that falls killed 48,308 Americans in 2024, more than motor vehicle crashes. 89% of those who died were 65 or older, and 9,094 fatal falls (19%) happened in a nursing home or other residential institution. 62% of fatal falls happened at home, and 21,754 of those who died were 85 or older.
| Where the fatal fall happened | Deaths | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Home | 30,038 | 62% |
| Nursing home or other residential institution | 9,094 | 19% |
| Public building, school or institution | 1,210 | 3% |
| Store or other trade or service area | 1,002 | 2% |
| Street or highway | 690 | 1% |
| Other or not specified | 6,274 | 13% |
Motor vehicle crash deaths
The VictimAid.com Accidental Death Report 2026 found that motor vehicle crashes killed 42,789 Americans in 2024, including 8,170 pedestrians and 5,928 motorcyclists. Many death certificates do not record the victim’s role in the crash, so the “other and unspecified” group is large.
Pedestrians
8,170
Bicyclists
964
Motorcyclists
5,928
Car occupants
6,182
Pickup truck and van occupants
1,393
Heavy truck occupants
319
Other and unspecified
19,809
See the VictimAid.com Florida Crash Report for Florida crash data.
Drowning, choking, fire and other accidents
The VictimAid.com Accidental Death Report 2026 found that 4,201 people drowned accidentally in 2024, and drowning caused 27% of accidental deaths of children ages 1 to 14, second only to motor vehicle crashes (42%). The VictimAid.com Accidental Death Report 2026 found that 76% of accidental infant deaths in 2024 (947 of 1,245) were accidental suffocation or strangulation in bed.
| Cause | Deaths, 2024 |
|---|---|
| Choking and suffocation (W75-W84) | 7,642 |
| Drowning (W65-W74) | 4,201 |
| Smoke, fire and flames (X00-X09) | 3,155 |
| Excessive natural cold (X31) | 1,154 |
| Excessive natural heat (X30) | 1,151 |
| Struck by or against objects or people (W20-W22) | 1,026 |
| Caught in or by machinery (W24, W30-W31) | 488 |
| Accidental firearm discharge (W32-W34) | 450 |
| Boating and other water transport (V90-V94) | 446 |
| Storms, floods and other natural events (X33-X39) | 381 |
| Electrocution (W85-W87) | 264 |
| Dog bites (W54) | 127 |
| Hot substances and scalds (X10-X19) | 95 |
Deaths from complications of medical care
The VictimAid.com Accidental Death Report 2026 found that 3,289 deaths in 2024 had complications of medical or surgical care as the underlying cause, including 2,571 attributed to complications of surgical and other procedures. These counts include only deaths where a complication of care was recorded as the underlying cause, so they do not measure medical errors as a whole.
| Category | Deaths, 2024 |
|---|---|
| Adverse effects of drugs and medicines (Y40-Y59) | 429 |
| Misadventures during surgical and medical care (Y60-Y69) | 125 |
| Complications of surgical and other procedures (Y83-Y84) | 2,571 |
| Other (Y88) | 164 |
Deaths from injuries at work
The VictimAid.com Accidental Death Report 2026 found that 4,538 death certificates in 2024 recorded that the fatal injury happened at work; 1,211 of those were motor vehicle crashes and 691 were falls. The Bureau of Labor Statistics counts workplace deaths differently; see the VictimAid.com Workplace Injury Report.
Stillbirth and infant deaths
The CDC counted 19,837 fetal deaths at 20 weeks of gestation or more in 2024, a rate of 5.44 per 1,000 live births and fetal deaths. The VictimAid.com Accidental Death Report 2026 found that Florida’s fetal mortality rate was 6.55 per 1,000 live births and fetal deaths in 2024, 20% higher than the national rate of 5.44, with 1,479 fetal deaths at 20 weeks or more. Florida ranked 9th highest among the 50 states and the District of Columbia.
The VictimAid.com Accidental Death Report 2026 found that complications of the placenta, umbilical cord and membranes were the most common identified cause of fetal death in 2024, named in 23.7% of cases with cause-of-death data (3,913 of 16,514). In 32.0% of fetal deaths, the cause was not specified.
| Cause of infant death, 2024 | Deaths | Rank among infant causes |
|---|---|---|
| Newborn affected by maternal complications of pregnancy | 1,193 | 5th |
| Newborn affected by complications of placenta, cord and membranes | 594 | 7th |
| Intrauterine hypoxia and birth asphyxia | 368 | 10th |
Sources: CDC/NCHS, Fetal Mortality: United States, 2024 (NVSR vol. 75, no. 6) and Deaths: Leading Causes for 2024 (NVSR vol. 75, no. 7). Cause-of-fetal-death data cover 43 states and the District of Columbia.
Methodology
VictimAid.com analyzed the CDC’s 2024 multiple cause of death public-use file, which contains a record for every death certificate filed in the United States. Following the CDC, the analysis excludes deaths of foreign residents, and its totals match the CDC’s published figures (3,072,666 deaths and 197,449 accidental deaths). Causes are based on the underlying cause of death coded under the International Classification of Diseases, 10th Revision (ICD-10). The public file does not identify the state where a death occurred, so national figures are shown. Florida figures come from the CDC’s fetal mortality report.
Sources
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Health Statistics, Multiple Cause of Death public-use data file, 2024, cdc.gov/nchs.
- Tejada-Vera B, Bastian BA, Minino AM. Deaths: Leading Causes for 2024. National Vital Statistics Reports, vol. 75, no. 7, September 22, 2026.
- Gregory ECW, Valenzuela CP, Hoyert DL. Fetal Mortality: United States, 2024. National Vital Statistics Reports, vol. 75, no. 6, September 10, 2026.
How to cite this research
VictimAid.com Accidental Death Report 2026, VictimAid.com / Law Offices of Jason Turchin, November 10, 2026. https://www.victimaid.com/statistics/accidental-death-statistics/You may quote, chart or republish these figures with attribution and a link to this page. Reporters can request the underlying aggregated data or attorney commentary at jst@jasonturchin.com.
Lost a loved one in an accident? Read about wrongful death claims or contact VictimAid.com for a free case review.
This page presents aggregated public data for research and informational purposes. It is not legal advice and does not describe any client matter or result. Figures reflect the source records as published by the agencies named above and may change as those agencies update their data.
