National and State Injury Facts
Indiana Injury Data
- Injury is the leading cause of death for Hoosiers ages 1 through 44 years (WISQARS).
- The leading causes of injury death in Indiana during 2009 were unintentional poisoning (790 deaths), motor vehicle crashes (690 deaths), and suicide by firearm (458 deaths) (WISQARS).
- In 2009, 2,577 Hoosiers died from unintentional injury (the term “unintentional” is preferred to the term “accidental”), the 5th leading cause of death (WISQARS).
- An additional 828 Hoosiers died from suicide, and 341 died from homicide (intentional injury), resulting in 3,746 total injury deaths in 2009 (WISQARS).
- From 2005–2009, 65% of injury deaths were from unintentional injury, 21% from suicide, 9% from homicide, and 5% from undetermined causes (WISQARS).
- More than 32,000 Hoosiers are hospitalized for injuries each year (ISDH).
- The total Indiana hospital charges for care rendered to patients related to injury or trauma in 2009 was over $690 million. The average charges per patient were $30,000 and the average length of stay was four days (ISDH).
- The estimated medical and work loss lifetime costs associated with motor vehicle crash fatalities for Indiana in 2005 totaled over $780 million (WISQARS).
- The estimated economic impact of motor vehicle crashes for Indiana in 2000 was more than $4 billion or $715 per capita. Motor vehicle crashes killed 947 Hoosiers in 2004 and are the single largest contributor to injury deaths.
United States Injury Data
- More than 180,000 people die from injuries each year—1 person every 3 minutes.
- Injury is the leading cause of death for people ages 1–44 years in the United States.
- More than 2.8 million people are hospitalized with injury each year.
- More than 29 million people are treated in Emergency Department for injury each year.
- More than $406 billion annually in injury-related medical costs and lost productivity.
- Among youth ages 5–24 years, injury was the leading cause of death in 2007. Of these deaths, 40% were motor vehicle-related.
*Sources: National Center for Health Statistics, WISQARS, and Indiana State Health Department (ISDH) Division of Trauma and Injury Prevention, 2009
The ISDH Division of Trauma and Injury Prevention will disseminate descriptive statistical information to those entities throughout the state having an interest in preventive control strategies. The program's goal is to develop a functional surveillance system for all injuries and establish a core injury team for the state.
Click here to view the latest information about injuries in Indiana.
Contact Information:
Brian Carnes
Director, Division of Trauma and Injury Prevention
bcarnes@isdh.in.gov
317-234-2865
