Common Types of Workplace Injuries
While nobody wants to get hurt on-the-job, work injuries are not uncommon. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), there were approximately 2.8 million non-fatal workplace injuries or illnesses reported during the latest reporting year in the US. These injuries and illnesses range in severity, but they all share a common theme – they cause workers to amass medical bills and can cause them to lose income.
What are the most common workplace injuries?
Not all injuries that occur in the workplace look the same. Below, we list some of the most common types of Florida workplace injuries.
Overexertion Injuries
In many cases, a work injury is caused by overexertion. These injuries usually occur due to lifting, pulling, pushing, or tossing a heavy item and can injure muscles, ligaments, and tendons. Exertion can also lead to other medical conditions, such as high blood pressure and cardiac events.
Repetitive Stress Injuries
Repetitive stress injuries, often referred to as RSIs, are often overlooked when it comes to work injuries. However, they are very common in the workplace, particularly in jobs that require a worker to perform the same motions over and over again. Retail, factory, and manufacturing workers are particularly susceptible to these injuries.
These injuries develop over time, and many workers do not even realize they are injured until after long periods. Some of the most common RSIs are:
- Strains
- Sprains
- Tendinitis
- Tennis elbow
- Joint wear
- Bone fractures
- Carpal tunnel syndrome
- Back strains, spasms, and sprains
- Herniated discs
- Knee injuries
Slip, Trip, and Fall Injuries
Slips, trips, and falls are some of the most common causes of work injuries, regardless of what industry a person works in. The National Floor Safety Institute says that falls account for 11% of all work injuries for men and 5% of all work injuries for women. Falls are the primary cause of lost days from work and the leading cause of workers’ compensation claims.
Struck, Crushed, or Caught by Equipment
Equipment in the workplace can lead to severe injuries. Getting struck by or crushed by equipment, or getting caught by equipment, occur primarily in factory, manufacturing, and construction workplaces. These incidents often occur when workers are improperly trained, the equipment is defective, or when workers fail to adhere to safety protocols. Management’s failure to enforce protocols and properly inspect equipment is often the root of these incidents.
Vehicle Accidents
Many industries require workers to travel in a vehicle, whether as a primary part of their job requirements or for occasional travel to and from work events. When an employee is injured in a motor vehicle accident while on-the-job or while performing job-related work, they should be entitled to recover compensation.
Proving a work injury
You should always report a work injury to your supervisor as soon as possible, and certainly within 30 days from the date the injury occurs. Workers’ compensation operates as a “no-fault” system in Florida, meaning that you do not have to prove that another person was negligent to secure compensation. You are entitled to workers’ comp benefits, even if you caused your own injury in most cases. If you are having trouble getting the compensation you are entitled to, you need to speak to a knowledgeable and experienced Orlando workers’ compensation attorney today.
