New data has revealed the top ten Florida counties with the highest rate of accidental deaths.
The research conducted by experts at personal injury attorney injuredinflorida.com analyzed Florida Department of Health data on deaths that were caused by unintentional injuries in each county in Florida from 2012 to 2021 and calculated the average rate per 100,000 population.
The average rate for Florida overall is 52.5 accidental deaths per 100,000 people.
Marion topped the list of Florida counties experiencing the most accidental deaths, with a rate of 91.9 deaths per 100,000 residents. To put that into perspective, residents of Maine are experiencing 30% more unintentional deaths than those who live in Pasco, which ranked tenth out of the Florida counties.
In second place is Citrus, which has a rate of 90.6 accidental deaths on average per 100,000 people. Citrus experienced its highest rate of accidental deaths in 2021, with the county reporting 213 unintentional fatalities.
In third place is Dixie, with an average of 89.8 accidental deaths per 100,000 people. The country registered its lowest number of accidental fatalities in 2020, accumulating 12 deaths. However, the following year, it reported 108% more unintentional deaths.
Levy comes in fourth place with a rate of 88.1 accidental deaths per 100,000 residents. The county’s population recorded a total number of 383 accidental deaths from 2012-2021.
In fifth place is Putnam, which has an average rate of 85.5 accidental deaths per 100,000 people. Putnam recorded its lowest accidental death count in 2014, with a count of 42 fatalities and its highest recorded in 2018, experiencing 112% more accidental deaths.
Hernando followed closely behind in sixth place with a rate of 76.9 accidental deaths per 100,000 residents.
In seventh place is Okeechobee, with a rate of 72.3 accidental deaths per 100,000 people.
Glades is in eighth place, with a rate of 72.1 accidental deaths per 100,000 people just after that is Lafayette, with 71.8 accidental deaths on average per 100,000 residents.
Finally, rounding off the list in tenth place is Pasco, with a rate of 71.7 accidental deaths per 100,000 people. Pasco experiences 154% more unintentional deaths than Miami-Dade, which ranked at the bottom of all 67 counties in Florida.
At the other end of the scale, Miami-Dade, Leon, and Orange are the top three counties experiencing the least accidental deaths. Miami-Dade’s unintentional fatality rate is the lowest at 28.2.
A spokesperson for injuredinflorida.com commentated on the findings: “Finding out the Florida counties with the highest number of accidental deaths is a noteworthy study to delve into as according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, accidental deaths were the fourth leading cause of death in the United States. An estimated 224,935 people died of accidental deaths in 2021, equivalent to a rate of 67.8 per 100,000 people.
“It’s also interesting to note that study shows the county Marion, which ranked first for most accidental deaths, is experiencing a huge 225.8% more accidental deaths than those in Miami-Dade, who placed last,” the spokesperson added.
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