Accidental deaths claimed 130,557 lives in the U.S. in 2013. They can contribute greatly to mortality rates within each state and nationally. The highest type of accidental death in 18 states is due to motor vehicle accidents, but accidental deaths can also be caused by drug poisoning and falls. The top 10 states that were ranked with the highest number of accidental deaths was the result of data examined by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on accidental deaths by state.
West Virginia has the highest rate
Using data from the CDC, along with information from the FBI on violent crimes and illegal drug abuse, 24/7 Wall St. published this list of the top 10 states with the highest amount of deadly accidents per 100,000 people in the year 2013.
- West Virginia - ranked 71.5, with the leading cause of accidental death being poisoning due to accidental drug overdose. In fact, poisoning represented more than 31 percent of this state's accidental death causes.
- Oklahoma - ranked 62.6, Oklahoma had the sixth highest poison death rate in the country due to drug overdose.
- New Mexico - at 58.8, New Mexico also has the second-highest non-drug-related poisoning death rate in the nation, and nearly the highest violent crime rate in the country.
- Montana - at 57.4. Montana's two leading causes of accidental death are motor vehicle accidents and falls.
- Mississippi - this state's accidental death rate is 55.5, with the leading cause due to motor vehicle accidents, followed by poisoning by drugs. They also had the highest rate in the nation of accidental death by suffocation.
To read all 10 top states, visit www.usatoday.com/story/money/business/2015/04/18/247-wall-st-states-most-deadly-accidents/70395124/