How frequent do injuries occur in your workplace? Depending on where you work and what your line of work is, these statistics will vary drastically. In your field or industry, there may be few to no injuries that occur on an annual basis. In some industries, the statistics can be quite the opposite, though. If you work in an industry where injuries occur moderately or frequently, it is important to keep track of these numbers so that you are aware of the possibility. It is also necessary to understand workers comp and what you could earn from a work injury.
Interested in learning more about the frequency of injuries in workplaces across the United States? Keep reading for more information on workers comp and and why you may need to hire a worker compensation lawyer.
Frequency of Injuries in the Workplace in America
Believe it or not, injuries happen quite frequently in workplaces throughout the United States. In 2013, there were more than 3 million injuries or illnesses that occurred in the workplace that were nonfatal. Although this number was lower than in 2012, it still remains high, overall. These statistics estimate that for every 100 full-time employees, around 3.3 cases of an injury or illness will happen annually.
The types of injuries and illnesses that show up in the workplace will vary depending on the age of the worker, the industry, and the location the employee works. Some of the most common types of sprains, strains, and tears. In 2013, there were around 327,000 of this kind that occurred. The next most frequent kind of injury is a slip, trip, or fall. In the same year, there were nearly 230,000 of these cases. While not as frequent, back injuries still occurred around 170,000 making them a noteworthy injury, as well.
Understandably when such injuries occur, it may not be possible for an employee to come back to work immediately. In more than 917,000 cases in 2013, an illness or injury related to the workplace made an employee miss some days at work. When the average numbers are pulled for these work-related injuries and illnesses, eight days was the typical amount of time missed.
The Benefits of Workers Comp in Your Industry
Depending on your industry and workplace, you should always be aware of the workers compensation benefits package. It is better to know before a potential injury what the circumstances would be surrounding your workers comp than to wait until afterward to find out. Generally, a good workers compensation package would come with cash benefits if you miss days of work from the injury or illness. It would also cover any medical expenses 100%.
Sometimes, this is broken down into smaller percentages in your workers compensation package so that it can be divided between the different categories. For example, some employers may offer 70% of workers compensation toward wage and salaries missed. The other 30% would cover benefits like medical expenses.
In 2011, the amount spent on workers compensation benefits throughout the United States reached more than $60 billion. This was an increase by nearly $2 billion from 2010. For employer spending across the country, workers compensation ended up taking up around 1.6% of spending overall annually, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics? National Compensation Survey. Although workers compensation can end up costing an employer a lot of money annually, it is better to offer some type of plan to your employees than not. This is especially the case if injuries and illnesses tend to occur in your workplace. It is better to have happy, healthy, and reliable employees than employees who leave dissatisfied with the packages you offer to them.
Have you ever been injured or gotten sick due to your workplace environment? Did your employer offer a workers compensation package that was beneficial or did you have to hire a workers compensation benefits lawyer? Let us know in the comments about your experiences.
