LOTTERIES & PROBABLITIES

LOTTERIES & PROBABILITIES

Your odds of winning the multistate Jackpot Lottery are 1 in 175,223,510.

My odds are zero, because I will not buy a ticket. I don’t like that people have to lose for me to win. My injury law practice is all on a win-win basis. I like it that way.

At any rate, numbers like 175 million are daunting. None of us deal with numbers like that. But let me put into perspective just how slim those odds really are.

Let’s look at some scary things, published by the Daily Beast, you probably have never even thought about:

Death by Vending Machine Odds: 1 in 112 million

On average, two people in the U.S. are crushed to death underneath vending machines each year. Please snack responsibly.

Dying in an Airline-Related Terrorist Attack Odds: 1 in 25 million

No one has died in an airplane-related terrorist attack since 9/11. The pat-downs of elderly people and toddlers are really paying off.

Having Identical Quadruplets Odds: 1 in 15 million

Identical quadruplets would be adorable, but you wouldn’t be able to support them because you probably won’t win the lottery…

Dying From Being Left-Handed Odds: 1 in 4.4 million

It’s a right-handed world. Apparently, a fair number of left-handed people die each year from using right-handed products incorrectly.

Becoming a Movie Star Odds: 1 in 1,505,000

There’s more than one way to make money in this world, and movie stardom is a better bet than playing the lottery.

Dying in a Plane Crash Odds: 1 in 1 million

If you are too scared to board a plane, why did you just buy a lottery ticket?

Death by Flesh-Eating Bacteria Odds: 1 in 1 million

Not as rare as one would hope, but there are worse ways to die. Maybe.

Getting Struck by Lightning Odds: 1 in 1 million.

A lightning strike is probably still preferable to flesh-eating bacteria.

Dying in a Bathtub Odds: 1 in 840,000

These odds are not an excuse for your young sons to stop bathing. Sorry boys.

Dying in an On-the-Job Accident Odds: 1 in 48,000

This is something I see on a regular basis.

Murder Odds: 1 in 18,000

Hopefully it won’t be over a lottery ticket, but if it is, at least your murderer probably won’t win, either.

Dying in a Car Accident Odds: 1 in 6,700

It is the most dangerous thing most of us will ever do. (Good luck driving to the store to buy that lottery ticket.)

I know, you are thinking that the slimmest odds are better than none, right? Someone has to win, and you figure, it could be you?

How would you feel about a man standing in field waiting on some collectable space junk to just randomly fall out the sky that he could sell for millions? Sounds crazy, right? I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but statistically you would be better off following his lead than trying the larger lottery odds.

Injury Attorney David Peel founded the Peel Law Firm in Millington in 2000. He makes himself available to speak to organizations, churches and civic clubs at no cost. To contact him and see more articles, visit PeelLawFirm.com