A Look at Costliest Workers’ Comp

May 19, 2023

 

Small businesses struggling with workers’ comp

  • Amputations led to some of the most expensive claims, costing nearly five times the average, followed by electric shock and multiple trauma injuries.
  • On average, the injuries analyzed resulted in 71 missed workdays. Injured employees from small businesses missed an average of 79 workdays.
  • Strains and sprains accounted for the most injuries, followed by fractures (13%), contusions (8%), inflammation and dislocations (both 7%).
  • Dislocations were the costliest of the most common injuries, coming in at almost three times the average cost per claim.
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Heat top cause of injuries for laborers

  • A recently published study by the University of Connecticut found heat is the number one cause of exertion-related injuries and fatalities on U.S. work sites.
  • Using data reported to OSHA, the team found that of all injuries and fatalities, about 3% were exertion related.
  • Of those injuries, 89% were related to heat stress, according to the report.
  • This study shows that heat is a significant danger for laborers in industries like construction, excavation, farming, and assembly lines workers.
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Judge orders accelerated COVID-19 data

  • A federal judge in Texas ordered the FDA to accelerate the process of making public the vaccine trial data that it relied on to license Covid-19 vaccines.
  • U.S. District Judge Mark Pittman wants documents for both Moderna’s vaccine for adults and Pfizer’s vaccine for children to be made public by mid-2025.
  • This reduced the FDA’s plan of taking 23.5 years to release all of the information.
  • The latest order requires the FDA to produce all of its data on Pfizer’s vaccine for 12- to 15-year-olds and Moderna’s vaccine for adults by June 30, 2025.
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Next-Gen workers most in need of mental health support

  • New research by The Hartford found Gen Z workers are the most in need of mental health support compared to other generations.
  • Gen Z workers are more likely than other generations to report stigma prevents them from seeking mental health care (41%).
  • While the youngest generations in the workplace are more likely to say their mental health affects their productivity, the oldest generation in the workplace are less likely to report mental health impacts.
  • An estimated 75 million Boomers are expected to retire by 2030—the year the U.S. workforce is projected to be two-thirds Millennial and Gen Z.
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