Can You Guess the Most Common Types of Work Accidents?

Here’s some good news. Although the number of reported work accidents fluctuates year after year, it appears it has gone down most recently. However, everyday occurrences still cause many on-the-job injuries.

For starters, you might be interested in some statistics presented by the New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development. In 1990, there were more than 219,000 reported work accidents in New Jersey. That number was only surpassed in two other years, both in the 1990s. Meanwhile, in 2015, the number of reported on-the-job injuries tapered down to less than 135,000.

Common Fatal Work Accidents

Unfortunately, some on-the-job accidents actually result in fatalities. On a national level, in 2015, 4,836 deaths were related to injuries sustained at work. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, these are some examples of incidents that happened on the job and resulted in the worker’s death:

• A substantial number of truck drivers were killed in motor vehicle accidents. Additionally, a little more than half of the other work-related roadway accidents involved other types of drivers or passengers.
• Twenty percent of on-the-job injuries happened on private construction sites.
• Fatal injuries occurred in the gas and oil extraction industries.
• At least 10 percent of fatal injuries were a result of occupational exposure. This could mean exposure to dangerous substances or repeated work functions that resulted in serious injuries.
• Violence in the workplace accounted for some fatal work accidents.
• Some fall down incidents resulted in an employee’s death. In 81 percent of those accidents, the worker fell from one level to another.
• A small number of individuals were killed when they were exposed to electricity on the job.

Non-Fatal Work Accidents

Fortunately, the number of people who are injured while working is less than those who are killed. Without question, many have survived a number of the accidents listed above. And, yet they may still be living with rather incapacitating injuries. As experienced workers’ compensation attorneys, we have also come across other types of incidents that happened at work. Here are some examples:

• Individual’s hand or other limb was amputated in a machine.
• Warehouse equipment struck the worker.
• Repetitive motion such as lifting and bending caused injuries.
• Overexertion resulted in harm to the employee.

Obviously, just because we’ve listed the more common accidents does not mean there aren’t other types of on-the-job injuries. You should consider speaking with a lawyer to see if your accident warrants the filing of a claim.

Injured at Work?

If you or a loved one suffered injuries or was involved in a fatal work accident, the Law Offices of Anthony Carbone can assist you. There is no cost to meet with us and fees are awarded by the court at the conclusion of the case. Call us to schedule an appointment.

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