Each year, the United States Department of Labor (DOL) Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) releases an annual Occupational Injuries and Illnesses News Release. The news release issues the statistical findingsregarding workplace injuries and occupational illnesses during the preceding year. The report unveils some eye-opening figures about workplace accidentsin 2013.
According to the report, there were nearly 3 million nonfatal occupational injuries and illnesses reported by private industry employers--a rate of 1.7per 100 full-time workers. The BLS says that these figures, determined by estimates from the Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses (SOII),were relatively unchanged from the previous year.
Of the more than 3.0 million workplace illnesses and injuries in 2013, 2.9 million were nonfatal injuries. More than 75 percent of these injuries occurredin the service industry, which comprises more than 82 percent of the workforce.
Work-related illnesses accounted for just over 5 percent of the more than 3 million occupational illnesses and injuries reported in 2013. While the rateof occupational illness in 2013 (16.6 cases per 10,000 full-time workers) was slightly lower than in 2012 (17.3 cases per 10,000 full-time workers),the rate was not "statistically different," according to the report.
If you are hurt at work,your injury may be covered by workers' compensation. However, workers' comp provides a no-fault remedy to injured workers. If,however, your workplace injury or illness is caused by poor working conditions, improper safety protocols, or other type of employer negligence, youmay be entitled to compensation through a personal injury lawsuit. Family members of those killed in a fatal workplace accident or those who succumbto a terminal illness caused by occupational conditions may be able to seek compensation for their losses through wrongful death litigation.
Learn more about workplace accident lawsuits on the personal injury section of our website. Contact (405) 608-4990 to schedule a free evaluation ofyour claim.
