What are the Most Common Work Injuries?

Posted in Workers Compensation on August 12, 2021

Workplace injuries can lead to devastating short- and long-term consequences for those involved. Fortunately, workers’ compensation systems are in place to help ensure that those who sustained on-the-job injuries can recover compensation for their losses. Workplace injuries can occur in a wide variety of ways and in any industry. Here, we want to look at the most common workplace injuries that occur in Arizona. 

Workplace Injury Causes in Arizona

According to data available from the US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), we can see that there were around 2.8 million non-fatal workplace injuries or illnesses reported during the latest year across the country. Thousands of these injuries occurred right here in Arizona. Workplace injuries can occur in any type of industry, though we know that employees in some industries face higher risks of severe injuries on a daily basis.

According to information available from the National Safety Council, we can see that the top three leading causes of workplace injuries account for more than 84% of all non-fatal injuries that involve days away from work. These injuries include:

1. Overexertion and bodily reaction injuries. This can include a variety of types of injuries, including:
   • Non-impact injuries resulting from excessive physical effort directed at an outside source, including pushing, turning, holding, throwing, carrying, lifting, etc.
   • Repetitive motion tasks that result in a person putting stress or strain on one part of the body over and over again for longer periods of time.
2. Slip, trip, and fall injuries. These types of injuries can occur in a variety of ways as well, including the following:
   • Slipping and tripping without falling, where an injury occurs when a worker catches themselves before the full fall occurs.
   • Falling on the same level, which includes any type of fall that occurs where a worker lands on the same floor that they fell on.
   • Falling to a lower level, which occurs when a person falls through a surface, falls from a collapsing structure, or falls from a ladder, scaffolding, or other type of support structure.
3. Contact with other objects and equipment. Coming into contact with another object can mean a wide variety of things, including:
   • A moving object striking an employee.
   • A worker striking against object or equipment, including bumping into it, stepping on it, kicking it, etc.
   • An injury as a result of the worker’s body being squeezed, compressed, or crushed in equipment.
   • A worker being struck, crushed, or caught by collapsing equipment or materials.
   • A worker sustaining an injury as a result of friction or pressure between themselves and the source of the injury.

There are certainly other ways that workers sustain injuries or illnesses on the job. Other common causes of workplace injuries in Arizona include:

• Transportation incidents
• Violence or injuries by other people or animals
• Exposure to harmful substances or environments
• Fires and explosions

Finding a Skilled Phoenix Work Injury Attorney

If you or somebody you love has sustained a workplace injury, you should be able to recover compensation for your losses. However, if you are struggling to recover the workers’ compensation insurance you are entitled to, you need to speak to a skilled Phoenix work injury lawyer as soon as possible. An attorney can walk you through every aspect of these claims and help you recover the compensation you are entitled to for your losses.