A recent Workplace Safety Index report published by Liberty Mutual shows that American employers paid out over $1 billion each week in 2015 for workers’ injuries.
The report’s authors conceded that the overall number of workers who suffered one of the top 10 most serious workplace injuries that year was at least 1.5 percent lower than the 2014 rate. The cost associated with covering employee medical bills, lost wages and other related expenses increased by 2.9 percent from one year to the next, though.
In the grand scheme of things, employee’s disabling illnesses and injuries cost employers as much as $60 billion in 2015. All but $8 billion of that covered costs associated with the top 10 most serious types of injuries.
Data the report’s authors were able to compile shows that worker overexertion led the pack as the top cause of disabling injuries in 2015. This marked the fourth straight year that it was the No. 1 cause of worker injuries.
The other most debilitating injuries workers suffered that year were slips, trips and falls, either to a lower level or at the same one. They accounted for over $19 billion in damages. Traffic accidents cost employers $3.2 billion.
Crush and strike injuries combined cost employers over $9.5 billion. Other types of overexertion injuries cost employers over $4 billion.
If you’ve suffered serious injuries while on the job, whether due to overexertion, a crush injury or a fall, a Modesto attorney can advise you of your right to claim lost wages and recover medical costs in your case.
Source: Safety & Health Magazine, “Serious work-related injuries and illnesses cost U.S. employers more than $1 billion a week: report,” May 16, 2018