In 2019, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates the societal cost of fatal and nonfatal injury in the United States was a staggering $4.2 trillion. That sum dwarfs an often-cited figure of $671 billion, calculated in 2015, the last year data was made available. To arrive at this sum, the CDC included spending on health care, lost productivity, and estimates for both quality of life for survivors and lives lost due to traumatic injury.
According to the report, fatal injuries account for $2.2 trillion and nonfatal injuries $2 trillion. Costs break down as follows:
- $327 billion in medical care
- $69 billion in lost work productivity
- $3.8 trillion in lost quality of life and lives lost