Through my research of unintentional injuries, I thought about the cost that might be associated
with each injury I read about as I continued to find more journals and articles on unintentional injuries. I especially thought about the burden of cost to those injured and their families.
The National Safety Council provides specifics on the estimated costs of unintentional injuries and illustrates, through staggering numbers, the economic burden unintentional injuries cause.
Some of the main costs associated with unintentional injuries are:
- direct medical care costs
- rehabilitation
- lost income because of injuries or disability
- lost of productivity
In the late 1990′s, unintentional injuries estimated costs reached $224 billion annually. These estimates rose 42% since the 1980′s and continue to grow. It costs far less to prevent injuries than to treat them. Consider the following examples:
- Every child safety seat saves $85 in direct medical costs and an additional $1,275 in other costs.
- Every bicycle helmet saves $395 in direct medical costs and other costs.
- Every smoke detector saves $35 in direct medical costs and an additional $865 in other costs.
- Every dollar spent on poison control centers saves $6.50 in medical costs.
Emphasis on preventing unintentional injuries is the key to decrease the burden of cost associated with unintentional injuries. For more information on the estimated costs of unintentional injuries, please click here.
