Liberty Research Institute Names Overexertion, Fall Accidents As Leading Causes of Work Injuries in 2012

According to Liberty Research Institute for Safety’s 2014 Workplace Safety Index, the five leading causes of work injuries in 2012 were behind approximately 65% of all workers’ compensation expenses. The research examined claims data for injuries that lasted at least six days. The rankings given for the injuries were determined by total compensation costs.

Here are the top five causes of injuries on the job that year:

Overexertion: This may have involved the acts of pushing, lifting, pulling, carrying, holding, or throwing.
Falls on the same level: Slip and fall accidents, especially on snow and ice, were a common one.
Getting hit by equipment or an object
Falls from an elevated height
Other forms of exertions or physical reactions

Other leading causes of work injuries included roadway accidents, slip or trip accidents with no fall involved, getting stuck in or compressed by an object or vehicle, repetitive motion injuries, or getting struck against equipment or an object.

According to U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, fatalities at road construction sites and in work zones were a common cause of concern in 2013. Pedestrian workers killed by motor vehicles was one segment of workers killed in roadway accidents.

On a positive note, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration says that the number of U.S. worker deaths have gone down, with just 12 fatalities occurring daily in 2012 compared to around 38 deaths a day in 1970. OSHA says that occupational illness and injury rates have also declined, even as the number of people with jobs in this country has almost doubled.

Massachusetts Workers’ Compensation
If you were injured in a work accident you should contact an experienced Massachusetts workers’ compensation law firm right away. You want to make sure that you get all of the work injury benefits that you are owed in a timely manner. Often, a worker may try to get their injuries taken care of through their own insurance without knowing that they have other options and certain rights. An experienced Boston workers’ compensation attorney can protect your rights and advocate on your behalf especially when there is a dispute over benefits owed.

Go to this page to download the Liberty Research Institute for Safety’s 2014 Workplace Safety Index

Bureau of Labor Statistics

Occupational Safety and Health Administration

More Blog Posts:
U.S. Department of Justice Joins Whistleblowers in Medicare Fraud Cases Against Prominent Cardiologist, Boston Injury Lawyer Blog, January 13, 2015

Lipitor Injury Lawsuit Against Pfizer Blame Drug for Diabetes
, Drug Injury Lawyers Blog, January 9, 2015
Tougher OSHA Reporting Rules for On-the-Job Injuries Are Now in Place
, Massachusetts Workers’ Compensation Lawyer Blog, January 9, 2015

Contact Information