Workers’ Compensation was established in the U.S. in order to provide benefits to workers for their work-related illness or injury. It is a no-fault insurance plan which allows compensation without requiring workers to prove their employer was negligent. It also prevents employers from claiming workers were negligent and therefore responsible for their own injury.
Each individual state, including New York, has established its own plan with its own specific requirements. The U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) most recent statistics are for the year 2013 for national injuries, illnesses and deaths. New York statistics are also for the year 2013.
National Workers’ Compensation Statistics for 2013
Nonfatal Work-Related Injuries and Illnesses
- 3,007,300 claims were filed in 2013
- 917,100 workers lost time from work
- The median number of days off work was 8
- 327,060 workers suffered sprains, strains or tears
- 170,450 suffered back injuries
- 229,190 were injured by falling, slipping or tripping
Fatal Work-Related Injuries and Illnesses
- 4,585 people died across the nation as a result of a work-related injury
- 1,099 died related to a roadway incident
- 724 died as a result of falling, slipping or tripping
- 404 died in work-related homicides
New York Workers’ Compensation Statistics for 2013
Total Fatal Work-Related Deaths in New York in 2013
- 78 people died in New York in 2013 in work-related incidents
- 39 of those died due to violence by another person or animal
- 56 were killed in transportation incidents
- 4 were killed in explosions
- 83 deaths were of those working in service related industries
- 61 involved construction, natural resources and maintenance occupations
- 6 died from falling, slipping or tripping
- 12 died from exposure to toxic substances
- 30 were killed due to contact with an object or equipment
Fatal Work-Related Deaths in New York in 2013 by Characteristics
- 11 women were killed
- 167 men died
- 66 were between the ages of 20 and 44
- 88 were between the ages of 45 to 64
- 26 were ages 65 and over
Work-Related Nonfatal Injuries and Illnesses in New York in 2013
- 199,200 workers were injured or became ill due to work-related incidents in New York
- 137,500 of injured workers were employed in private industry
- 8,900 workers in the construction industry were injured
- 11,900 of those employed in manufacturing were injured
- 116,100 were injured in the service industry
- 2,300 motor vehicle and parts dealers were injured
Other Relevant Statistics for Work-Related Injuries, Illnesses and Fatalities in New York in 2013
- Of those injured in manufacturing jobs in New York, metal fabrication workers had the highest injury rate followed by the food manufacturing industry which came in second.
- 100,600 of those workers who were injured missed days of work
- 1,000 injured or ill workers were injured so seriously they could not return to their former employment
- There were no fatalities in business, financial, legal, education, library, the arts, healthcare practitioners or technical occupations.
- Musculoskeletal injuries make up 33 percent of all work-related injuries
- Workers between the ages of 45 to 54 has the highest number of days away for work losing a total of 293,870 days of work
- The fatal injury rate among firefighters rose from 18 in 2012 to 53 in 2013
- Nearly half of all work-related fatalities are due to transportation related accidents
- The top three industries for job-related fatalities are: Logging workers, those who work in the fishing industry followed by airplane pilots and flight engineers
Workers Compensation Claims Injuries
In recent years, private businesses have had about 1,000,000 reported incidents per year where workers have lost time to injury or illness. That doesn’t include government workers, and it doesn’t include cases where a worker ended up using general sick or leave time. Whether reported or not, these accidents have one thing in common: they happened on the job, and the workers were entitled to appropriate compensation.
One of the biggest factors in determining that compensation is how the accident happened and if the employer took steps to prevent it. Here’s a look at some of the most common causes of accidents that employers should be well aware of:
- Truck accidents cost the worker involved a median of 16 days of missed work and cost employers 3 days away from work per every 10,000 employees.
- Injuries on ladders were close behind with 14 days lost per injured worker and 2 days lost per 10,000 workers.
- Injuries caused by another worker’s injury or illness accounted for 13 days lost per injured worker and 18 days lost per 10,000 workers.
In terms of the type of accident, overexertion or bodily reactions accounted for over a third of injuries. Falls, slips, and trips made up a quarter. Contact with objects or equipment was close behind at 23 percent.
Stats may provide some interesting insights, but they don’t tell the full story of how an injury happened and if the worker in a particular case is entitled to compensation. In fact, the biggest relevance they might have to your injury claim is by showing how much experience employers and insurance companies have defending against claims.
If you were injured at work or became ill due to work-related conditions, contact Albany attorney Paul Giannetti either online or at (518) 243-8011 for a free consultation. An attorney can make certain the appropriate steps are taken to maximize the compensation to which you are legally entitled.