Accidents and injuries can happen any time and, in any place, and that includes on the job. Where homeowners’ insurance policies, auto insurance and liability insurance provide compensation and coverage for those who are injured in their homes, on the road or on a business property, workers’ compensation insurance provides coverage for injuries that occur to employees in the workplace. Workers’ compensation is a no-fault form of insurance, which means that employees aren’t required to prove that negligence took place: they can receive the needed benefits even if their injury or illness is a result of their own mistake (not counting fraud, theft or similar bad actions). On-the-job injuries don’t only happen in high-risk environments and professions: a white-collar employee working in an office can get hurt just as easily as a construction worker. Still, there are some injuries that result in the majority of claims, and some types of accidents that cause them more frequently than others. According to a review of more than 15 million workers’ compensation claims done by the nation’s largest workers’ compensation carrier, the top-five injuries as a percentage of total claims are:
- Strains and sprains (30 percent)
- Cuts or punctures (19 percent)
- Contusions (12 percent)
- Inflammation (5 percent)
- Fractures (5 percent)
The most frequent causes of these injuries are:
- Materials handling accidents (32 percent of all claims)
- Slips, trips and falls (16 percent)
- Being struck by or colliding with an object (10 percent)
- Accidents involving tools (7 percent)
- Traumas occurring over time such as overuse or repetitive stress (4 percent)
Some accidents are more likely to occur in specific environments. Material handling accidents resulting in injuries are most commonly seen in the manufacturing and retail industries, while falling from heights was most likely to occur in the construction and retail industries. Though many think that motor vehicle accidents occur to sales people or truck drivers most frequently, the truth is that they are most likely in the oil and gas industry. The accidents and injuries that are most frequently seen in manufacturing and construction environments are injuries to the eye. No matter what type of injury you’ve sustained or what environment you work in, if you were hurt on the job than you are entitled to workers’ compensation benefits, including reimbursement for your medical expenses, lost wages and more. For information on your rights, contact us today to set up an appointment.