An Injury Is No Accident

Abstract

IT is time for medicine to dispose of the idea of "accident" and "accidental injury," so that recent halting steps in understanding the injury problem can continue. That such efforts merit high priority is emphasized by the fact that for persons one to 44 years old, injuries are the most common cause of death.¹ A glance at an American college-level dictionary shows that an "accident" is defined as an event that is "unforeseen," "unfortunate" and "unexpected" and sometimes results in a loss or injury. There is no quarrel with this part of the definition, for without doubt, few of the . . .