Accident

An accident is an unplanned, undesired event that results in injury, damage, or loss. In common usage it refers to events outside intentional harm, though the term covers a wide range of occurrences, including injuries to people, damage to vehicles or property, and environmental harm. In insurance and safety engineering, accidents are often analyzed as events with multiple contributing factors, such as human error, equipment failure, or hazardous conditions, with the aim of preventing recurrence.

Common types include transportation accidents (such as car crashes, aircraft incidents, and train collisions), workplace accidents (slips, trips and falls; injuries from machinery), and domestic accidents (falls in the home, burns, poisoning). Natural events can become accidents when they cause injury or damage, such as floods or storms, especially when human activity interacts with hazards.

Causes are frequently multifactorial. Human factors include distraction, fatigue, impairment, inadequate training or supervision. Mechanical or technical failures can initiate an incident. Environmental factors include weather, lighting, and ergonomic design. Many accidents result from a combination of factors over time, rather than a single cause.

Consequences vary from minor injuries to fatalities and substantial property damage. Economic costs include medical care, lost productivity, and repair or replacement. Prevention focuses on risk assessment, safety culture, design improvements, maintenance, protective equipment, training, and regulatory compliance.

Discourse around "accident" vs "incident" varies; some organizations prefer "incident" to emphasize potential without implying fault, while others retain "accident" as a neutral term.