When an individual suffers personal injuries from a workplace accident, time off work is necessary to recover. Thankfully, Missouri’s workers’ compensation laws protect injured employees financially when these accidents occur.
How much time off work do workplace injuries require? What is the cost of treatment? How much could you receive in a workers’ compensation settlement? Based on the most common personal injuries caused by workplace accidents, we’ve put together the most up-to-date data to answer all these vital questions.
Slips, Trips, & Falls
Slip and fall accidents are the number one cause of workplace injuries. In fact, 18% of injuries requiring time off to recover were caused by slip and fall accidents in 2020 alone.
The most common personal injuries caused by slipping and falling at work are sprains, strains, and muscle tears. The average time off work to recover from these personal injuries is about two weeks.
For more information about slip and fall accidents, read our legal blog, “Winter Workplace Injuries.”
Transportation Accidents
According to the most recent statistics from the National Safety Council, there were 25,830 occupational injuries caused by transportation accidents in 2020 that required days off work to recover. The majority of these injuries were back, neck, and head injuries, with the median number of days off work set at 14. The most common types of injuries were sprains, strains, tears, fractures, and multiple traumas.
Sometimes, personal injury symptoms are delayed, which is why it is so important to seek medical attention after an accident – even if you “feel fine” at first. Learn more about transportation accident injury symptoms in our legal blog, “6 Delayed Accident Symptoms That You Need to Know.”
Overexertion & Bodily Reaction
Workplace accidents caused by overexertion and bodily reaction composed 21.7% of workplace injuries in 2020, totaling255,490 non-fatal personal injuries. The typical amount of time taken off work to recover was two weeks, and the most common resulting injuries were back, shoulder, and knee injuries.
If you’ve suffered personal injuries due to overexertion in the workplace, should you file for workers’ compensation? Find out what you need to know in our legal blog, “Does Being Overworked Qualify for Workers’ Compensation?”
Average Personal Injury Treatment Costs
No matter what kind of personal injury is present, the cost of its treatment varies by severity. Below are the average amounts paid by workers’ compensation for the most common personal injuries caused by workplace accidents in 2020.
- Workplace transportation accidents cost an average of $85,311. The average medical cost was $47,500 and the average amount paid in damages was $37,811.
- Burns cost $36,477 in medical expenses and $17,696 in damages, totalling $54,173.
- Slip & Fall medical costs came to $27,225 and damages came to $21,350 for an average total of $48,575.
- Injuries caused by being caught on an object cost $26,288 in medical expenses and $18,400 in damages, reaching a total average of $44,588.
- Workplace injuries involving being struck by a falling object cost $22,093 in medical treatment and $17,884 in damages, totalling $39,977.
- Strains, which are typically caused by overexertion and bodily reaction, cost an average of $17,421 in medical bills and $17,870 in damages, for which the combined total is $35,291.
Learn more about workplace injuries in our legal blog, “Most Common Workers’ Compensation Injuries.”
Having a workers’ compensation attorney on your side is the only way to ensure that you receive a fair settlement that covers all of your workplace injury related expenses. Your attorney will help you calculate the value of your personal injury, guide you through the legal process, and negotiate on your behalf. Find out more about how much your personal injuries are worth in our legal blog, “What’s Your Injury Worth?”
Don’t struggle with the expenses of your workplace injury on your own. Contact The Hines & Wilson Law Firm to schedule your no-cost initial consultation where you will receive free legal advice from an experienced Columbia lawyer near you.
