There Are No Accidents The Deadly Rise of Injury and Disaster—Who Profits and Who Pays the Price

by Jessie Singer · 2023

In *There Are No Accidents*, journalist Jessie Singer turns a personal tragedy into a sweeping investigation of America’s fatal “accidents.” From turn‑of‑the‑century factories and coal mines to today’s highways, rural hospitals and polluted Superfund sites, she shows that most mishaps are neither random nor inevitable. By tracing how the word “accident” shields powerful interests—shutting down investigations, shifting blame onto victims, and diluting public outrage—Singer reveals a pattern in which the poor and people of color bear the brunt of preventable death while the privileged escape accountability. The book blends rigorous history with urgent storytelling, urging readers to see that what we call accidents are often predictable failures that can be stopped, and that demanding responsibility is the first step toward a safer, more just society.