Can You Guess The Costliest Workplace Injuries?

Being hurt while on the job can seriously impact your life, your financial stability, and your entire family. Recently, editors with PropertyCasualty360 – an online resource for those in the insurance industry – ranked the costliest workplace injuries in the U.S.; we share a few of them here.

Costliest Workplace Injuries in the U.S.

Using 2013 data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics – that’s the most recent year for statistically relevant data – the editors found that workplace injuries cost U.S. employers almost $62 billion. Here are the five costliest injuries suffered on the job.

1. Overexertion involving an outside source (24.4% or $15.08 billion of the $62 billion) This refers to a worker’s physical effort to lift, pull, push, hold, carry or throw an object that results in an injury. Typically, injuries occur when the object is heavier than what a worker should be handling or it’s handled improperly.
2. Falls on the same level (16.4% or $10.17 billion of the $62 billion) An example of this would be an employee tripping and falling from an uneven floor surface or leaning too far back in an office chair and falling backward.
3. Falls to a lower level (8.7% or $5.40 billion of the $62 billion) Examples of this include roofers falling to the ground from a ladder or rooftop, or an office worker falling from a stepstool.
4. Being struck by equipment (8.6% or $5.31 billion of the $62 billion) There is a wide range of possibilities for this type of injury, including being struck by an object that was dropped by another employer, being caught by a gate or swinging door, etc.
5. Slip or trip without falling (3.8% or $2.35 billion of the $62 billion) Think about an employee entering the workplace and slipping on icy stairs before steadying themselves by grabbing the handrail, which causes an injury to the shoulder.

You May Have Grounds For A Personal Injury Lawsuit

If you’re injured because of someone else’s negligence – especially while on the job – you may have a strong case for recouping compensation for lost wages, high medical bills and more. With offices in Phoenix, Tempe, and Peoria, the personal injury lawyers at The Oswalt Law Group are available anytime for a free consultation about your situation. Call us at 602-225-2222.