Workplace Incidents Most Likely to Lead to Workers’ Comp Claims

Every year millions of workers across the country suffer on-the-job injuries. The National Safety Council (NSC) estimates that an employee is hurt on the job every seven seconds, which works out to about 7 million injuries a year. If you suffered a workplace injury in Connecticut, you may be entitled to compensation for medical bills, time missed from work and other damages.

According to the NSC, these three categories of work incidents account for more than 84 percent of all workers’ comp claims:

• Overexertion and bodily reaction — 31 percent of injuries result from lifting, pushing, turning, holding and similar activities. Transportation and warehousing are the two industries most affected by overexertion. This category of injury also includes stress and strain caused by repetitive motion, such as carpal tunnel syndrome, which affects many office workers.
• Slips, trips and falls — 27.5 percent of injuries involve falling from ladders, roofs and scaffolding; falling from a collapsing structure; falling through surfaces; falling while sitting and falling against objects. Workers age 55 and over are among those most frequently injured by slips and falls, which are common in the agriculture, transportation and warehousing industries.
• Contact with objects/equipment — 25.8 percent of injuries result from workers being struck by moving objects; pinched or crushed in equipment or between moving objects; caught or crushed in equipment; or caught in wire or rope. Young people aged 16 to 24 are the most frequent victims of these types of accidents, which heavily affect workers in the agriculture, construction, transportation and warehousing industries.

Rounding out the top five causes of occupational injury are transportation accidents (5.6 percent) and violence and other incidents involving people or animals (5 percent).

The three most common injuries from workplace accidents, according to the NSC, are:

• Sprains, strains and tears
• Soreness or pain
• Cuts, lacerations and punctures

Other frequent injuries include back and neck damage, bone fractures and dislocations, as well as concussions and other traumatic brain injuries (TBI).

The amount you can receive in workers’ compensation will depend on how you got hurt, the severity of the injury, whether you were an employee or independent contractor and several other variables. An experienced Connecticut workers’ comp lawyer will be able to assess your situation and explain whether you may be entitled to benefits beyond workers’ comp as well, such as long- or short-term disability, SSI or personal injury damages.

The lawyers of Gesmonde, Pietrosimone & Sgrignari, L.L.C. help injured workers pursue compensation from all available sources. If you need legal help after a work accident, please call 203-745-0942 or contact us online to speak with one of our Hamden or East Haven lawyers.