New research reveals the top 10 states with the highest rate of accidental deaths in the US.
- West Virginia stands at the top of the table, claiming the unfortunate distinction of having the highest accidental death rate of 153 deaths per 100,000 people.
- There were 284,529 accidental deaths and an average of 81 deaths per 100,000 people across the US.
- Other states in the top ten include Tennessee, Louisiana, Kentucky, South Carolina, Mississippi, Arizona, Ohio, Missouri, and Florida.
In their analysis of unintentional fatalities in the United States, personal injury attorneys injuredinflorida.com gathered 2021 data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and compared the population of each state to identify which had the highest rate of accidental deaths per 100,000 people.
| State | Population | Total accidental | Rate per 100,000 people |
| West Virginia | 1,782,959 | 2,724 | 153 |
| Tennessee | 6,975,218 | 8,912 | 128 |
| Louisiana | 4,624,047 | 5,857 | 127 |
| Kentucky | 4,509,394 | 5,307 | 118 |
| South Carolina | 5,190,705 | 5,847 | 113 |
| Mississippi | 2,949,965 | 3,273 | 111 |
| Arizona | 7,276,316 | 7,868 | 108 |
| Ohio | 11,780,017 | 12,566 | 107 |
| Missouri | 6,168,187 | 6,452 | 105 |
| Florida | 21,781,128 | 22,644 | 104 |
West Virginia stands at the top of the table, claiming the unfortunate distinction of having the highest accidental death rate among the states. With a population of 1,782,959, West Virginia recorded 2,724 accidental deaths, resulting in a rate of 153 deaths per 100,000 people. Causes of death recorded in the table include pedestrian injuries in traffic accidents, motorcycle rider collisions, falls, drowning incidents, accidental poisonings, and exposure to uncontrolled fires.
In second place, Tennessee follows closely behind with a rate of 128 per 100,000 people. Tennessee experienced a significant number of accidental deaths, totaling 8,912.
Louisiana, ranked third in the table, faced its own challenges regarding accidental deaths. The state reported 5,857 due to accidents, leading to a rate of 127 deaths per 100,000 people out of its 4,624,047 population.
In securing the fourth position, Kentucky experienced a rate of 118 deaths per 100,000 people. The state’s population of 4,509,394 saw a total of 5,307 accidental deaths.
In fifth place, South Carolina faced its own challenges with accidental deaths. With a population of 5,190,705, the state recorded 5,847 fatalities, yielding a rate of 113 deaths per 100,000 people.
Arizona, Ohio, Missouri, Florida, and Mississippi also made the top ten states with the highest incidences of accidental deaths, each facing varying rates ranging from 104 to 111 deaths per 100,000 people.
A spokesperson from injuredinflorida.com commented on the study’s findings, “There were a total of 284,529 accidental deaths and an average of 81 deaths per 100,000 people across the US. To put that in perspective, out of the total of 3,464,231 deaths during the same time period, accidental deaths accounted for approximately 8% of the overall figure.”
