All employers within 74% of this country’s states are required to have Workers’ Compensation coverage for their employees. Currently, this insurance covers over 140 million workers within the United States. Given the annual number of work-related accidents and fatalities that occur, it’s surprising that all employers within every single state aren’t required to have coverage for their employees.
The Leading Cause of Workers’ Compensation Claims
Most, or 85%, of Workers’ Compensation claims are due to employees slipping on wet or slick floors. Due to these circumstances, workers 55 years and above tend to have the highest incidence of sustaining an occupational injury. Slip and fall claims are the primary cause that individuals within this age group file claims.
Every year, falls are responsible for more than 8 million hospital emergency room visits. Furthermore, these incidents account for 21.3% of all emergency room visits. Slips, however, are responsible for 1 million visits, or 12% of the total number of falls.
The Effect of Workplace Accidents on Productivity
The United States Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) conducts and maintains research on slip and fall accidents as well as other types of workplace injuries. According to recent BLS data, 22% of slip and fall accidents lead to over 31 days of missed work. This absenteeism can obviously affect a company’s overall workplace productivity.
In 2012, for example, the BLS also found that there were 3 million nonfatal workplace accidents. This signifies that for every 100 full-time workers, 3.5 had sustained a workplace injury. Nearly 95% of these injuries that occurred during this year were occupational injuries. The remaining 5% was due to work-related illnesses.
Fatalities Associated with Workplace Accidents
Due to workplace accidents, 4,609 American workers lost their lives in 2011. During the following year, 40% of the work-related fatalities occurred due to these causes:
- Roadway incidents that involved motor vehicles
- Slips, trips, and falls
- Workers being struck by objects
- Violence in the workplace
Workmans Comp Payouts and Related Issues
Employee slip and fall accidents account for roughly $70 billion in Workmans Comp payouts every year. This amount includes workmans comp payouts for lost wages as well as the medical costs that accrue due to these accidents.
In 2015, the BLS reported that more than half of the 2.9 million reported private industry injury and illness cases had additional effects. In addition to worker absenteeism, job transfers and restrictions also occurred.
While many of these accidents and fatalities could be prevented with proper working conditions and extensive training, other accidents may not be predicted or anticipated. In order to minimize workplace injuries and illnesses, it is nevertheless vital to stress safety training and other personnel issues that may arise.
Filing a Workers Compensation Claim
If you’ve been sustained a workplace injury or illness, it’s important to contact a work injury attorney to assist you. Since these attorney’s have experience within this field of the law, they will be able to assist you with filing your claim and ensuring that you receive the workers comp settlement that you deserve.