Unintentional injuries:
The high cost of accidents
| Carlton Hamilton (right) is shown with his daughter, Kyra, 6, at a Child Safety Seat Check sponsored by the Boston Public Health Commission. Children up to 8 years old and 57 inches tall are now required to ride in a booster seat. (Photo courtesy of Boston Public Health Commission) |
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GIt was 2:30 a.m. and Anthony Perry was driving home on Washington Street when all of a sudden, a car coming toward him made a quick left onto Townsend Street.
Perry swerved, but it was too late. His Jeep Cherokee was totaled, and worse, his life was sent spiraling down a road of physical rehabilitation and economic disaster.
Unable to work, he lost his job, his health insurance benefits and his car.
And it only took less than a minute.
“Accidents can happen so fast,” Perry said. “If the driver had waited just three seconds, this could have been avoided.”
It could have been a lot worse. Full story
Falls are risky for young and old
This story starts with a little girl chasing a cat.
It ends up in an emergency room, where 21-month-old Brianna Cruz was taken after falling two stories.
By the time Brianna’s father made it to the driveway, she was motionless and not breathing.
Brianna survived, but not before triggering a major dose of panic. Full
story
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A Closer Look
Unintentional injuries or accidents are among the leading causes of death in this country and are more frequent in people from 1 to 44 years of age. The economic toll of accidents is great and amounts to more than $600 billion a year in cost of care as well as productive years lost. Poisonings, motor vehicle-related accidents and falls account for over 78 percent of all accidental deaths in Massachusetts.
Full story
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