What Are the Most Common Injuries to Children?

What Are the Most Common Injuries to Children? No one likes to think about injuries to children, but they remain facts of life. While parents exert their best efforts to prevent injuries to their children, accidents happen. So—what are the most common injuries to children, what can you do to try to prevent them, and what are your options when your best efforts fail? Government statistics confirm that the leading causes of childhood injuries are unintentional ones, such as traffic accidents, burns, drowning, falls, and poisoning. Among people 19 years old and younger, more than 12,000 die from unintentional injuries each year and another 9.2 million are treated in emergency rooms for injuries. Falls were the leading cause of nonfatal injuries among children. Each year, more than 2.8 million children were treated in emergency rooms for injuries from falls. For children, less than one-year-old falls accounted for more than half of all nonfatal injuries. Falls are the leading cause of injuries in all age groups younger than 15. The most common injuries to children include:

• Drowning
• Traffic accidents
• Poisoning
• Fire and burns
• Suffocation
• Sports injuries

With the exception of falls, leading causes of non-fatal injuries vary by age groups. For children younger than nine, the next two leading causes were being struck by or against objects and animal bites or insect stings. But for children ages 10 to 14, the next leading causes after falls were being struck by or against objects and overexertion. For children ages, 15 to 19, the three top causes of nonfatal injuries were being struck by or against objects, falls, and injuries suffered in traffic accidents as vehicle occupants. Injury rates also varied according to age groups. Suffocation injury rates were highest for those less than one year old. The rates of injuries caused by fires, burns, or drowning were highest for children younger than five. Children from one to four years old also had the highest rates of non-fatal falls and poisoning. All of these accident types are preventable to an extent. Parental vigilance helps, but no parent can prevent all accidents. Sometimes, accidents are simply unavoidable. Accidents can sometimes result from someone else’s negligence. When that happens, you may find it difficult to think about anything beyond helping your injured child recover. Yet it is also important to understand your child's rights to compensation for injuries sustained in the accident.

If Your Child Suffered an Accident Injury in the Richmond Area, Contact the Personal Injury Lawyers of Emroch & Kilduff

If your child was injured in an accident in the Richmond area, consult a personal injury attorney to determine your rights under the particular circumstances of your situation. Virginia law may entitle you to compensation. The lawyers of Emroch & Kilduff specialize in personal injury law. They can protect your rights and obtain just compensation in these situations. Reach us at (804) 358-1568 or through our online contact form.