Workers’ Compensation Statistics [Updated 2022]

Workers’ compensation is a familiar topic on every employee’s mind. Even if you have never been the victim of a work injury, you probably have a basic understanding of the steps needed to get adequate medical attention and benefits.

That being said, for as vast as the internet is, there aren’t many good resources that have compiled facts and helpful statistics that fully illustrate the scope of workers’ compensation in the United States. Until now.

We’ve compiled an extensive list of some of the facts and statistics below, as they pertain to work injury and workers’ compensation claims in the United States and California.

If you have specific questions you’d like to get answered, speak to one of our Riverside workers’ compensation lawyers now.

Workers’ Compensation Statistics

• With the creation of OSHA, worker injuries and illnesses are down on average – from 10.9 incidents per 100 workers in 1972 to 2.8 per 100 in 2019.
• 4,821 workers were killed on the job in 2020 with 2.7 million more suffering nonfatal injuries and illnesses.
• Most Dangerous Industries (2020)
• According to the Travelers Injury Impact Report which analyzed data from 2015-2019, the most common injury causes in workers compensation claims include 29% overexertion, 23% slips, trips and falls, 14% being struck or colliding with an object, and 5% motor vehicle accidents.
• Most common injuries in claims: 38% strains/sprains, 13% fractures, 8% contusions, 7% inflammation, 7% dislocations, and 5% cuts or puncture wounds.
• First-year injuries resulted in more than 6 millions days away from work, accounting for 37% of missed workdays.
• In 2020, the total cost of work injuries was $163.9 billion.
• The most costly injuries are not the most common: Amputation $102,500, Dislocation $97,100, Electric Shock $55,200, Crushing $54,600, Multiple Trauma $50,000
• States with highest premiums in 2019, per $100: Wyoming: $1.98, Alaska: $1.95, Montana: $1.77, Hawaii: $1.70, California: $1.67, Idaho: $1.60
• Employer Spending on Workers’ Compensation (% of total employer compensation costs) was 1.2% in 2021.
• Nonfatal workplace injuries and illnesses resulting in days away from work, private industry, by selected event or exposure (2019):

• Despite common belief, only 1-2% of workers’ compensation claims are fraudulent.
• How much each limb is worth (National Average as of 2015): Arm – $169,878, Leg – $153,221, Hand – $144,930, Thumb – $42,432, Index Finger – $24,645, Middle Finger – $20,996, Foot – $91,779, Big Toe – $23,436
• The number of claims filed, denied, and payment amounts by state are updated weekly on the US Department of Labor Website.
• Almost all states adhere to some form of the exclusive remedy provision, meaning that an additional personal injury claim cannot be filed against employers on top of a workers’ compensation claim except for specific circumstances.

Top 10 Frequently Cited Safety Violations For 2021 Fiscal Year

1. Fall Protection – General Requirements: 5,295 violations
2. Respiratory Protection: 2,527 Violations
3. Ladders: 2,026 violations
4. Scaffolding: 1,948 violations
5. Hazard Communication: 1,947 violations
6. Lockout/Tagout: 1,698 violations
7. Fall Protection – Training Requirements: 1,666 violations
8. Personal Protective & Lifesaving Equipment (Eye & Face Protection): 1,425 violations
9. Powered Industrial Trucks: 1,420 violations
10. Machine Guarding: 1,113 violations

Source: OSHA 

California Workers’ Comp Facts and Stats

1. All California employers must provide workers’ compensation benefits to their employees under California Labor Code Section 3700.
2. As of June 13, 2022, California has already seen 13,786 claims filed and a total compensation of $573,895,882.
3. Around 72% of California workers hire workers’ compensation lawyers to handle their claims.
4. In 2020, 9% of the workers’ compensation claims in California involved the lower back.
5. In California, the loss of a breast because of cancer is only considered 0-5% disability, so it’s essentially not counted in terms of compensation. Furthermore, less than 3% of medical evaluators are women.
6. The average California medical benefit per claim is among the highest in the country with costs more than 90% above the countrywide median.
7. This high cost of medical benefits is not driven by treatment costs but is driven by the length of time a claim remains open and medical benefits are paid.
8. California has the highest ratio of loss adjustment expenses (expenses associated with investigating and settling claims) to losses in the country.
9. The cost of workers’ compensation benefits to injured workers is provided by over 500,000 insured employers conducting business in California.
10. Percent of FROIs (First Report of Injury) by County of Accident Location (2020):

• Indemnity claim frequency by California region (2019): The Los Angles and Long Beach area had the highest claim frequency, over one quarter above average; the Peninsula/Silicon Valley region had the lowest frequency, at 28% below the statewide average claim frequency.
• Written premiums in California grow at a double-digit annual rate due to higher premium rates and growth in insured payroll.
• Despite workers’ compensation reform in California, the litigation rate has nearly doubled for all workers’ compensation claims and more than tripled for claims involving lost time.
• Benefit and expense payments for temporary disability claims with an attorney average $30,319 versus $5,598 for those without; while payments on permanent disability claims with an attorney average $66,208 versus $25,300 for those without (data from 2005-2010).

California Injury and Illness Cases Per 10,000 Full-time Workers From 2018-2020

Source: California Department of Industrial Relations

For help understanding your workers’ compensation case, contact our firm.