What Are the Most Common Causes of Workplace Injuries in California?
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), an average of 3.6 per 100 workers suffered a workplace injury in California in 2017, amounting to a total of more than 466,000 workers injured that year. Of those California workplace injuries, 376 were ultimately fatal. Serious and fatal injuries occur at workplaces across California every year, including construction sites, factories, office buildings, markets, and any other type of commercial operation. Some industries are more dangerous than others, and some types of injuries are significantly more common than others. Read on for a discussion of several of the most common causes of workplace injuries in California, and contact a dedicated Southern California workers’ compensation attorney if you need help with a workers’ compensation claim on behalf of yourself or a deceased family member.
Slip and fall
According to data from California’s Department of Industrial Relations, slips, trips, and falls at work are some of the most common workplace injuries. If a worker slips on a slippery surface or trips over a misplaced piece of equipment, the injured worker is entitled to receive workers’ compensation benefits regardless of whether the injury was caused by the negligence of the employer, another worker, or even the injured worker personally.
Back, neck, and shoulder injuries caused by lifting heavy objects
One of the most common causes of workplace injury is heavy lifting, leading to injuries to the neck, back, and shoulders. Maintenance workers, factory workers, construction workers, stockroom workers, and others are all required to lift and carry heavy objects as part of their job. Performing this action repeatedly over time increases the risk of an eventual injury, and if the injury occurs while the worker is performing their duties as an employee, then the employee can receive workers’ comp benefits for the injury.
Falling objects
Being struck by flying objects is an extremely common cause of workplace injury. Thousands of California workers are hit by objects such as safety equipment, construction materials, personal items and machinery, and if the object has fallen from a great height, then the consequences can be severe. Skull fractures, brain injury, and broken bones are extremely common as a result of falling debris.
Repetitive motion
While it may sound more mundane than being struck by a falling object, suffering a permanent muscle or tendon injury as a result of repeated motions over time can be just as debilitating. On average, over 31,000 California workers every year suffer from repetitive stress injuries causing damage to nerves, muscles, tendons, and ligaments. These injuries can have lasting effects that limit an employee’s ability to work as well as their quality of life, and they should not be discounted or ignored in terms of pursuing workers’ compensation.
Call the Workers’ Compensation Attorneys at Invictus Law After an Injury on the Job in Southern California
If you have a claim for workers’ compensation and want to make sure you get the maximum available coverage, call Invictus Law today at 949-287-5711, and speak with an experienced California workers’ compensation attorney to evaluate your claims.
