Who is more likely to be injured in a car accident?

Doctors at the Department of Surgery, Cedars-Sinai Research Institute in Los Angeles, CA performed a study in order to see what percentage of their patients injured were children, adults and the elderly. They also looked at the age groups of the patients along with when the accidents occurred. The results of the study are listed below.

“Children constituted 27 percent of the patients, adults 54 percent, and elderly 19 percent. This mixture had significantly more children and elderly than the population at large or the entire blunt trauma population at our hospital. The majority of patients (66 percent) were male, with females outnumbering males only in the elderly group. Elderly patients were more frequently admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) and had significantly longer ICU and hospital stays. Injury Severity Scores were successively higher in each age group and significantly higher in the elderly. Extremity trauma was most common in all three groups, followed by head injuries. The elderly patients were more prone to chest and pelvic injuries and the children most often had femur fractures. Operations were performed in 22 percent of the patients; orthopedic procedures were most frequent. The mortality rate was 6 percent, with 69 percent of the deaths occurring during the initial resuscitation efforts. The mortality rate was significantly higher in the elderly patients (13 percent). The majority of accidents occurred during nighttime hours, especially in the adult group. Half of the accidents occurred on the weekend, with the greatest number on Saturday. One-third of the accidents occurred during the months of October to December.”

So if you are an adult male you are more likely to be injured in a car accident, and this risk is increased if you are driving on a weekend night. Also, as we come into the period of October to December it is important to be aware that your risk of injury will also increase. If you have been injured in a car accident, please do not hesitate to contact the Northland Injury Law firm for a free consultation at 816-400-4878. An attorney experienced in the field of vehicular injury law will be ready to advise you of your options and counsel you through this difficult time.