Personal injuries rank 4th among America's leading causes of death, after heart disease, cancer, and COVID-19. With around 225,000 deaths, it is clear that even unintentional injuries are catastrophic.

These incidents—road accidents, work-related injuries, slips and falls, medical negligence, dog bites, defamation, and others—cost and inflict trauma.

If you find yourself in the unfortunate event of a personal injury, filing a claim can help you assess your legal options. Read the statistics in this article to prepare your plan of action better!

Let's begin.

Editor's Choice

  • In 2021, 958 serious personal injuries in the construction industry were recorded.
  • In 2019, 81,000 motorcycle-related injuries were recorded.
  • Females are more likely to have a fall incident, with 59.6% compared to men.
  • Motor vehicle accidents involving 19 to 44-year-olds were the most frequent.
  • 1 out of 4 American older than 65 years old experienced a fall each year.
  • 2022 saw a 1.7% growth in personal injury lawyers and attorneys in America.
  • A personal injury lawyer costs 33%-45% of the total settlement or court award.
  • Dog bite liability claims cost pet owners' insurance $1,136 million in 2022.
  • A personal injury lawsuit would take 1-3 years to receive a verdict from a court.

How Many Personal Injury Cases Are Filed Yearly?

According to the United States Courts, personal injury claims increased by 97%, with 45,523 cases recorded. People who filed personal injury claims demanded compensation from the accident's perpetrator. 

The following statistics below will explain:

  • How personal injury happens;
  • Who is likely to file a claim;
  • How much hiring a lawyer will cost you; and
  • The settlement for personal injury.

Personal Injury Case Report Statistics

Personal injury claims rarely get to trial because they are settled before they get there. Despite the low number of court cases, more accidents cause personal injuries.

Here are the top statistics on personal injuries reported in America:

1. 62 million people went to medical facilities for injuries.

(Injury Facts NSC)

5 in 1 Americans sought medical aid for an injury. The death rate for people who experienced an accident in 2021 was 67.8 per 100,000. 

Accidents can happen in our households, on the road we usually take, or even in our workplaces. An increase was observed in situations of personal injury when 2021 and 2020 were compared:

  • Home deaths: 13%
  • Motor vehicle accident deaths: 11%
  • Public ends: 10.5%
  • Work deaths: 8.8%

2. In 2021, 958 serious personal injuries in the construction industry were recorded.

(Injury Facts NSC)

Construction had the highest number of workplace accidents in America, with 958 cases, 12 more than in 2020.

Transportation and warehousing followed, with 748 fatal personal injury cases reported. Given the work demand and the occupational hazards in the construction industry, personal injury cases rise annually. 

(Statistica)

Motor vehicle-related injuries are the second leading cause of accidental death, with 36,069 cases in 2019. In the same data, this type of accident caused 38.2% of spinal cord injuries in 2015–2020. 

The leading accident injury crashes on the roadway were big trucks, with 119,000 injuries in 2019. 

Personal Injury Victims Demographic

As you can see, personal injuries can happen to anyone. Someone's recklessness will inevitably cause an accident.

Through the lens of demography, the statistics below will show how common personal injuries are:

4. Females are more likely to have a fall incident (59.6% compared to men).

(National Library of Medicine, Mather Institute)

Out of 1,786 recorded fall traumatic injuries, the number of females in the total documented cases was 1,064.

It is significantly higher than the number of men with fall-related traumatic injuries, with only 722 recorded cases. Most of the time, women experienced fall accidents when walking (40.3%).

5. Motor vehicle accidents involving 19- to 44-year-olds were the most frequent.

(National Library of Medicine)

Road traffic crashes were significantly higher among Americans who suffered personal injuries. Motor vehicle crashes have a higher risk of resulting in head trauma or, worse, surgery. 

In addition to a lack of protective gear, alcohol impairment can increase the likelihood of fatalities and worse outcomes. Since driving instruction is optional for those 17 and older, drivers' lack of it contributes to crashes. 

6. 1 out of 4 Americans older than 65 experiences a fall each year. 

(National Institute on Aging)

Thousands of older people experience slips and falls each year. While it's a minor accident for most people, this can lead to more severe health complications for the aging population. 

Personal Injury Lawyer Statistics

Due to the increased rate of personal injury accidents, the personal injury sector is growing. Accidents such as road accidents, workplace accidents, and dog attacks fuel this more.

Check the statistics below to get a clearer picture of how the personal injury industry operates:

7. 2022 saw a 1.7% growth in personal injury lawyers and attorneys in America.

(IBIS World)

Personal injury lawyers in the US have increased the widespreadness of personal injury claims. The number of lawyers specializing in personal injury lawsuits has remained consistent. It will open more positions as personal claims increase.

8. A personal injury lawyer costs around 33%–45% of the total settlement or court award.

(All Law)

Personal injury lawyers receive a "contingency fee" of 33%–45% of the court's award or settlement. 

When losing a personal injury claim, the claimants are not required to pay their lawyers. Still, they must cover court filing charges (which their lawyers initially shoulder).

9. Hiring a personal injury lawyer will increase your average recovery compensation by 440%.

(Martindaale-Avvo)

The average recovery that a claimant can get without hiring a lawyer is only $17,600, but having a lawyer will increase it to an average of $77,600. 

Lawyers know how much their clients should be getting; they are not just experts in court. Lawyers always seek the best settlement the other party can offer. Just by doing that, they can get a payment to cover everything. 

Personal Injury Settlement Statistics

In 90% of the cases filed in personal injury lawsuits, the victim will likely win the case over the defendant. Because they received a settlement directly, victims are less likely to pursue personal injury claims. 

The statistics below will describe how personal injury settlements work and how much a victim usually receives in different cases:

10. Dog bite liability claims cost pet owners' insurance $1,136 million in 2022.

(Insurance Information Institute, Inc.) 

The average cost per claim in 2022 reached $64,555, up from $49,025 in 2021. This led to an increase in the national average per claim of 131.7% from 2013 to 2022.

Even if it's a simple dog bite or dog-related injury, filing a personal injury claim is wise to get compensation from the owner's insurance company.

11. 1 in every 20 personal injury lawsuits is resolved in court.

(Law Dictionary)

Almost 90% of pending injury claims were resolved in a pre-trial settlement. The defendants were most likely not to proceed with a court trial to protect their reputation and reduce further mess. 

Though the settlement amount is less than the court reward, most of the plaintiffs would go for the easy way—money—then spend more time in court and gamble on the faith of their claim.

12. A personal injury lawsuit would take 1-3 years to receive a verdict from a court.

(Bureau of Justice Statistics)

A personal injury lawsuit is handled on a case-by-case basis, so it's impossible to accurately predict the process of a personal injury claim. However, these are the average findings of the same study about tort trials:

  • Product liability trials have the longest duration, with an average of almost three years.
  • Medical malpractice cases last an average of two years and eight months. 

This is why most plaintiffs are settling for faster compensation rather than spending years waiting on a court proceeding.

The Bottom Line

Hiring a personal injury lawyer is a wise legal decision when suffering a personal injury due to someone else's negligence.

The damages and inconveniences an accident causes will be appropriately compensated, enabling you to recover from them conveniently. 

You cannot always control what accidents will happen to you, but you can file a personal injury claim when they do.