The 10 Most Common Workers’ Compensation Injuries

August 9, 2019 | Personal Injury, workers comp

Workers’ comp claims are some of the most neglected claims when it comes to receiving compensation for injuries or wrongful death due to an accident or negligence. 

Each state has a minimum number of employees a company must have before being required to carry workers’ compensation insurance.

While most state’s rules are very similar, each state also has different requirements and stipulations as to the types of insurance coverage they must carry. 

Workers’ compensation requirements in Missouri

In Missouri, businesses with a minimum of five (5) employees are required to provide their employees with certain workers’ compensation benefits. 

For more information, see this article on workers’ compensation requirements in Missouri.

Missouri has a lot of blue-collar workers, and for obvious reasons, these employees are far more susceptible to workplace injuries than office/white-collar employees. 

Obviously, there are industries with a higher volume of workplace injuries and a select group of industries has the most frequent workplace fatalities*.

Any sort of illness or injury that was the direct result of your job is potential grounds for a workers’ compensation lawsuit. 

As stated before, most companies are required to provide certain benefits or compensation if an injury is sustained on the job, but that does not mean you will receive as much as you deserve.

Employers and (especially) insurance companies frequently try to pay out the bare minimum to employees filing for workman’s comp. Because of this, we always recommend at least speaking with a local workers’ compensation attorney. 

They will be able to tell you your rights and help you understand whether or not you have a case.

Industries with the most nonfatal workplace injuries and illnesses:

• Health and social care
• Manufacturing
• Retail
• Food services
• Warehousing and transportation
• Waste services
• Technical services
• Entertainment and recreation
• Fishing, hunting, agriculture
• Educational services

What types of injuries are most frequent in workers’ compensation claims?

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), there were around 2,800,000 reported nonfatal injuries or illnesses sustained at the workplace in 2017.

Nearly 900,000 of these injuries or illnesses resulted in the employee missing at least one day of work.

According to their research, these are some of the most common injuries sustained in the workplace:

Brain Injuries in the workplace

Accidents that occur in your workplace, especially those occurring in construction sites and other hazardous premises often cause a severe brain injury. They generally occur when a worker slips or is struck by a hard or sharp object and injures his/her head. Find out more about workers’ compensation for construction workers.

Workers’ compensation for brain injuries can be long, difficult cases.

Mesothelioma from asbestos exposure at work

While the amount of asbestos and mesothelioma workers’ compensation cases have decreased, the dangers are definitely still present. Automobile mechanics, attic insulators, carpenters, firefighters, and other jobs run a higher risk of employees being exposed to asbestos which causes the deadly form of cancer known as mesothelioma.  

Burn injuries and smoke inhalation in the workplace

While firefighters run the obvious risk of sustaining burn injuries while on the job, other industries such as manufacturing, chemical plants, and other industrial areas are also common for workers’ compensation injury claims.

A burn injury case is different than other injury cases and it is important to understand the difference. Burn injuries are complex and expensive. They often require multiple skin grafts and other surgeries. There is a lengthy recovery period during which the risk of infection is great. Victims are often unable to work again for many months or years, if ever. They frequently require intensive psychological counseling as a result of the drastic changes in their appearance and abilities.

Related: Workers’ Compensation Statistics in the United States

Slip & Fall injuries sustained at work

Most of the time, a slip, trip, or fall is relatively harmless, but if you work at a place with large machinery, unfinished floors, or construction materials, a slip could result in a serious injury. Not all slips occur in these types of work environments, a wet floor can cause to a knee or back injury that may not be life-threatening but can certainly cause you to miss work. 

Spinal cord injuries sustained while working

Spinal cord injuries are some of the most difficult ailments to recover from. No matter how minor the injury, any issues with your spine can cause extended periods of time off of work. Unfortunately, spinal cord injuries at work (and elsewhere) can be caused by performing a task as simple as bending over. 

Dog bites and animal attacks in the workplace

Employees who spend a lot of time outdoors or in people’s houses run a higher risk of sustaining injuries from a dog or other animal attack. In these cases, you not only have a potential lawsuit for workers’ compensation, but you may also have a claim against the pet/animal owner. 

Traffic and automobile collisions

Of all of the workers’ compensation claims, traffic and automobile injuries are among the most common. From semi-truck accidents to minor collisions, injuries sustained while driving (or even walking) will continue to be high on the list of most common workplace injuries.