What Is The Most Common Type Of Workplace Injury
Workplace injuries are, unfortunately, not rare. Private industry employers reported 2.3 million nonfatal injuries in 2022, according to the Employer-Reported Workplace Injuries and Illnesses, 2021-2022 news release released on November 8 by the BLS.
Nonfatal workplace injuries can lead to days away from work, lost productivity, lost wages, medical bills, and even permanent disfigurement and disability. However, the majority of workplace injuries are not permanently life-altering, including the most common type of workplace injury.
Sprains, Strains, and Tears Are the Most Common Type of Workplace Injury
Private employers reported a total of 266,530 “sprains, strains, tears” that involved days away from work in 2020, the year for which most recent detailed data are available (BLS Table R67, here). (Note that in 2020, the total number of nonfatal injury and illness cases was 1,176,340, significantly lower than the 2.8 million nonfatal injury and illness cases most recently reported for 2022.) This represents the single largest category by far of workplace injury recorded, leading to a median number of days away from work of 13.
What makes this type of workplace injury so common? It’s helpful to look at the causes to understand why. The 266,530 injuries reported in 2020 are further broken down by event or exposure in another BLS table (R31, here), and include:
- 168,570 caused by “overexertion and bodily reaction”
- 66,330 caused by “falls, slips, trips”
- 13,950 caused by “contact with objects and equipment”
- 9,160 caused by “transportation incidents”
- 7,130 caused by “violence and other injuries by persons or animals”
- 1,770 caused by “fires and explosions”
The top two causes – overexertion and “falls, slips, trips” – account for 88% of all sprains, strains, and tears. Overexertion and falls/slips/trips can happen in any workplace environment, not just in industries and work environments that are traditionally considered inherently dangerous like construction and mining. This is likely one big factor as to why this type of injury is so common.
What To Do If You Experience a Sprain, Strain, or Tear at Work
Sprains, strains, and tears that occur during the course of work are covered by workers’ compensation. If you experience this type of workplace injury, and you’re an employee covered by your employer’s workplace compensation, report the injury within 90 days so you don’t miss out on any workers’ compensation benefits you’re entitled to.
Read more about How to Report a Workplace Injury on our blog.
Call the Workers’ Compensation Attorneys at The Carolina Law Group
Have you been injured at work? Whether you haven’t yet reported the injury to your work, your claim has been denied, or you’re not receiving as much in benefits as you expected, we can help. The experienced workers’ compensation lawyers here at The Carolina Law Group can help you get the benefits you’re entitled to under the law. We’ll help you avoid mistakes and get the compensation you need to help cover medical bills, disability, lost wages, and more, so you can focus on healing. Call us at one of the numbers below to schedule your free, no-obligation consultation today.
The Carolina Law Group has four offices in South Carolina for your convenience: Greenville (principal office; call 864.312.4444), Greer (principal office; call 864.757.5555), Spartanburg (principal office; call 864.312.4444) & West Columbia (principal office; call 803.881.1110).
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