Accident

Accident, unintended and unforeseen event, usually resulting in personal injury or property damage. In law, the term is usually limited to events not involving negligence, that is, the carelessness or misconduct of a party involved, or to a loss caused by lightning, floods, or other natural events (Act of God). In popular usage, however, the term accident designates an unexpected event, especially if it causes injury or damage without reference to the negligence or fault of an individual. The basic causes of such accidents are, in general, unsafe conditions of machinery, equipment, or surroundings, and the unsafe actions of persons that are caused by ignorance or neglect of safety principles.

Organized efforts for the prevention of accidents began in the 19th century with the adoption of factory-inspection laws, first in Britain and then in the United States and other countries (Factory System). Fire insurance and accident insurance companies made efforts to enforce safety rules and to educate the public. Factory inspectors and inspectors from fire insurance and casualty insurance companies carried on a campaign against unsafe conditions and actions, and at the beginning of the 20th century a new branch of engineering developed, devoted to finding and eliminating such hazards (Industrial Safety).

Laws concerning workers' compensation were passed in Germany in 1884, Britain in 1897, and the United States in 1908. By placing on the employer the financial burden of caring for injured workers, such laws created an incentive for providing safe machinery and working conditions and for improved selection and training of employees. In the U.S., the National Safety Council was formed in 1913; this noncommercial organization has since been a leader in accident-prevention activities, especially in the publication of educational literature, the compilation of statistics, and the coordination of the work of schools, clubs, industrial organizations, and state and municipal agencies.

See also Health Insurance.