Workplace accidents and injuries can happen in any job and in any industry. But just like there are some jobs and industries are more prone to workplace accidents, certain work-related injuries occur more often than others.
Some of the most common workplace injuries include:
• Musculoskeletal injuries, such as back injuries, neck injuries, meniscus tears, and broken bones. Musculoskeletal injuries often occur in jobs that require heavy lifting, such as factory jobs, manufacturing jobs, and construction jobs, but they can also occur as a result of overexertion.
• Slip-and-fall injuries, which can include broken bones, back injuries, and head injuries. Slip and fall accidents can happen in the workplace – whether an office or warehouse – as well as other locations outside of the workplace if the employee is engaged in work-related activities. For instance, if a pizza delivery driver slips and falls
on the sidewalk of a residence while delivery pizza, the injuries are still covered by workers’ compensation because the injury happened while the employee was on-the-job.
• Repetitive motion injuries. Many repetitive stress injuries are attributed to work-related activities, such as computer use, bar code scanning, assembly line work, fixed position work, sawing, and extensive use of power tools. If a repetitive stress injury is caused or exacerbated by work-related activities, the injured employee is generally entitled to workers’ compensation benefits. Worker’s compensation claims for repetitive stress injuries are often more difficult to prove than other work-related injuries, however, because the injuries accumulate over time, rather than as a result of a single workplace accident.
• Motor vehicle accident injuries. Employees whose jobs consist primarily of driving, such as truckers and delivery drivers, can be injured in motor vehicle accidents while on the job. When this happens, the injured worker is generally entitled to workers’ compensation benefits, as well as possible personal injury damages from the negligent motorist. Even those employees whose jobs do not consist primarily of driving may be entitled to workers’ compensation benefits for work-related auto accident injuries. For instance, if a salesman is driving to visit a customer and is injured in an auto accident, he or she may be entitled to workers’ compensation because driving to the customer was a work-related activity. Illinois lawmakers have proposed legislation that would clarify when a worker is entitled to workers’ compensation if he or she is injured on the way to his or her job, however, so it is important to consult with a workers’ compensation lawyer to discuss your legal rights and options following a work-related auto accident.
• Falling object injuries. Warehouse workers are often injured by falling objects that are not stacked properly. Regardless of whether the employee was at fault for the injury due to improper stacking or forklift loading, he or she is generally entitled to workers’ compensation benefits if injured by a falling object.
