Pennsylvania Workers' Compensation Statistics

December 15, 2015

Pennsylvania is home to numerous blue collar jobs – unfortunately, this also means that there are a lot of men and women who get injured on the job. Some who get injured while working choose to apply for workers’ compensation, as they are losing wages and need medical care; however, many go about it in the wrong way.

Pennsylvania’s acceptance rate for workers’ compensation claims is, unfortunately, notoriously low. In 2014 alone, 3,364 applications were submitted for workers’ compensation, but only about 33% of them were actually accepted. In 2009, there were over 4.1 million workers who were injured on the job.

Although the national number of injured workers in both the private and public industries has decreased over time, there are still numerous risks to being employed in a blue collar job:

In 2010 alone, nearly 4,690 American workers died while on the job, which is a 3% increase from 2009.
In 2010, roughly 50,000 Americans died from diseases contracted at the workplace.
In 2008, there were 104,285 work injury and illness cases reported in Pennsylvania alone.
In addition, fatalities also increased to 154 in 2008.
In 2007, there were 115,845 work injury and illness cases reported to the Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry alone – that doesn’t include incidents that weren’t reported.
Out of the 12 major industry divisions, 10 of them showed an increase in injuries in 2007.
In 2006, there were 110,657 work injury and illness cases reported to the Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry.
In 2006, there was also an 8.2% increase in work injuries and illnesses from 2005.
In 2005, just over 100,000 work injury and illness cases were reported to the Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry.

The list goes on and on, and as you can see, a huge number of people are harmed on the job by dangerous machinery, carelessness, or sleep deprivation.

Interestingly, the injuries aren’t exclusive to one group of people; there are reports of all categories of people being injured, from the young to the old, and from men to women. Unfortunately, however, men in their 40s and 50s are most at risk:

In 2010, 12.3% of all reported injuries occurred to people between the ages of 50 and 54. This was the highest percentage of any age group in 2010.
In 2010, 12% of all reported injuries occurred to people between the ages of 45 and 49, which was the second highest percentage of any age group in 2010.
In 2009, roughly 62% of those who reported injuries on the job were men.
In 2009, workers between the ages of 45 and 49 had the highest number of injuries. Workers between the ages of 50 and 54 had the second highest number.
In 2007, 68% of reported injuries happened to men.
In 2006, the median age for an injured worker was 41.

As you can see, men in their 40s and 50s are most at risk, but there are steps you can take to prepare yourself:

Don’t get injured on the job. This may sound obvious, but preventing injury is the number one way to avoid the financial pain and emotional turmoil that comes with it. Stay alert on the job, and if you don’t feel like you can, tell your boss. Your health and safety are more important than working a few extra hours.
If you do happen to get injured, don’t apply for workers’ compensation on your own. Hire a competent, knowledgeable lawyer to help you through the process step by step.

As noted above, in 2014 only about 33% of workers’ compensation claims were accepted. By getting a good lawyer on your side, your odds will increase drastically. The attorneys at Robinson Law LLC have helped countless men and women get the compensation they deserve and can help you too.

Sources: https://www.edgarsnyder.com/workers-compensation/information/workers-compensation-statistics.html