According to a recent report compiled by referring to government statistics and other academic resources, injuries related to overexertion when lifting or otherwise manipulating heavy objects are the most expensive type of work-related injury.
The report attributed $13.1 billion in annual losses and expenses to work injuries related to overexertion. These types of injuries could include strains on a worker’s back or related conditions that can develop over time when a worker must repeatedly move heavy objects.
Workers falling down also led to expensive losses, at $10.4 billion a year. To be clear, these types of falls were not from heights but simply from tripping or slipping and landing hard on the floor. Falls from heights, like a ladder or scaffolding, cost an additional $4.9 billion a year. Furthermore, simply tripping or slipping but not falling cost $2.2 billion a year.
The breakdown of which types of injuries cost the most depended on what type of industry was being surveyed. For instance, in the world of construction, falls from a height were overall the most expensive type of injury.
In the medical field and in the retail sectors, overexertion was the most expensive type of claim, perhaps because employees in these fields must frequently lift or move heavy objects and equipment. Health care professionals also must move patients from time to time.
Overall, work-related injuries cost business and their insurers over $52 billion annually. Many of these expenses get picked up by insurance companies and employers via each state’s workers’ compensation program. Mississippi workers should remember that they can collect benefits on a no-fault basis through workers’ compensation.
