Cost of Injuries and Violence in the United States was $671 billion in just 2013.

Cost of Injuries and Violence in the United States

The total lifetime medical and work loss costs of injuries and violence in the United States was $671 billion in 2013. The costs associated with fatal injuries was $214 billion while nonfatal injuries accounted for over $457 billion.

Injuries, including all causes of unintentional and violence-related injuries combined, account for 59% of all deaths among people ages 1-44 years of age in the U.S.—that is more deaths than non-communicable diseases and infectious diseases combined. Injuries killed more than 192,000 in 2013—one person every three minutes.

Each year, millions of people are injured and survive. In fact, more than 3 million people are hospitalized, 27 million people are treated in emergency departments and released each year. These people are often faced with life-long mental, physical, and financial problems.

Nearly $130 billion of the fatal injury costs were attributable to unintentional injuries, followed by suicide ($50.8 billion) and homicide ($26.4 billion).

Drug poisonings, including prescription drug overdoses, accounted for 27% of fatal injury costs.

Falls (37%) and transportation-related injuries (21%) accounted for the majority of costs treated in emergency departments.

Males account for the majority (78%) of fatal injury costs ($166.7 billion) and nonfatal injury costs (63%; $287.5 billion).

What Can Be Done? See http://www.cdc.gov/injury/wisqars/overview/cost_of_injury.html