The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is providing the latest numbers on work-related injuries in the U.S. and nonfatal illnesses that occurred in the work place in 2007.
Injuries on-the-job are a major cause of death in the U.S. About four million employer-reported nonfatal injuries and illnesses were recorded in 2007 alone.
Workers’ compensation is there to cover work-related injuries or workers who develop an illness on the job such as inhaling a toxic chemical. Workers’ compensation is paid for by the employer but it isn’t medical insurance, which is largely covered by the employee.
What was missing was a state-by-state breakdown on how many employee injuries in each state were being compensated by the program. To reach that number, 10 states added a module to their 2007 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) surveys.
The results find that self-reported work injuries, paid by workers’ compensation, ranged from 26.9% in New Jersey, and 47% in Texas, to 77% in Kentucky.
In Kentucky and New York, the injured at work were reported to be 4.0 to 6.9 per one hundred employed persons.
The CDC reports this study gives a clearer picture of a breakdown by using a population-based survey. Still undetermined at this time is why some worker-reported occupational injuries are not covered under workers’ compensation.
If you or a loved one has been injured on-the-job, the Florida workers’ compensation attorneys at Farah and Farah are experienced in making sure you are covered for your losses and your rights are protected.