Work Injury Statistics: Some Interesting Numbers – The Division of Workers’ Compensation released its statistical analysis for work injuries in 2010, and a few interesting revelations popped out, according to the DOWC Website.
Work Injury Statistics: Some Interesting Numbers
Workers’ Compensation Stats #1
- From 2001 to 2010, Colorado’s average annual employment decreased by 1.9%, and the number of lost-time claims filed has decreased by 18%.
OUR THOUGHTS: Some claimed that people would file more workers’ compensation claims during the economic downturn, particularly trying to claim “lost wages” for economic reasons. This prediction turned out to be false.
Workers’ Compensation Stats #2
- Injuries to the lower back area are the highest percentage (15.2%) of lost-time claims.
- Strains and sprains are approximately 50% of the lost-time claims filed.
OUR THOUGHTS: Most work injuries tend to be strains and sprains – meaning that no bone was broken or lacerations occurred.
Workers’ Compensation Stats #3
- The percentage of claims caused by all types of strains, or injuries by strain, rose 4.3% from 2001-2010, while the rate of claims for strains, or injuries by strain, declined by 0.4% per 1000 employed.
- Accidents involving a motor vehicle are the cause of injury in 3% of the lost-time claims.
- Lifting, the most frequent cause of strains or injuries by strain contributes to the greatest number of lost-time claims filed.
- The Public Administration NAICS sector has the highest rate of lost-time claims per 1000 employed.
- The NAICS sub-sector, Scenic and Sightseeing Transportation, has the highest rate of claims at 41.3% per 1,000 employed. (Fishing, Hunting, and Trapping had a higher rate, but because only nine are employed in this category, it was not included.)
- Females file claims at a higher rate than males for injuries to the wrist, multiple body parts, multiple upper extremities, and nonclassifiable body parts.
OUR THOUGHTS: This has always been true in our experience because women tend to dominate hand-intensive, repetitive jobs.
Workers’ Compensation Stats #4
- The greatest percentage of claims for females is in the Health Care and Social Assistance sector, while for males, it is in the Public Administration sector. This difference may merely reflect the gender distribution of the workforce.
- Both males and females, 40-49 years, file the greatest percentage of lost-time claims.
OUR THOUGHTS: We believe this is true because it is such a transition age when older workers are still trying to do “younger” more physically demanding jobs – combined with the fact that after forty, it is just harder to spring back from an injury.
Workers’ Compensation Stats #5
- Approximately 27% of lost-time claims were denied in 2010.
OUR THOUGHTS: Even more of a reason to hire a workers’ compensation attorney.
Workers’ Compensation Stats #6
- Accidents involving motor vehicles were the cause of death in 21% of fatal claims filed but only 3% of all lost-time injury claims filed.
- In 2010, four (4) fatal claims — just 4.9% of the fatalities — were filed due to robbery or criminal assault.
- Construction is the industry sector with the highest number of fatal claims. However, Agriculture, Forestry, and fishing were the sectors with the highest rate of fatal claims in 2010.
- In 2010, the greatest percentage of fatal claims was for workers 50-59 years.
- Construction, Transportation Material Moving and Sales and related occupations have the highest number of fatal claims filed.
Additional Resource: Work Injuries and Unemployment
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SOURCE:
http://www.colorado.gov/cs/Satellite?c=Page&childpagename=CDLE-WorkComp%2FCDLELayout&cid=1251567099860&pagename=CDLEWrapper