Hazards in the workplace are not new, and many rules and regulations are in place to help ensure worker safety even in dangerous industries. Yet serious and fatal workplace injuries are on the rise in Pennsylvania; there were more worker fatalities in 2022 than in any other year in almost a decade, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). Learn your rights from a skilled workers’ comp attorney in Pittsburgh if you get hurt on the job in the state of Pennsylvania.
What Are the Statistics on Workplace Injuries in Pennsylvania?
In 2022, the most recent year workplace injury data in Pennsylvania is available, 183 workers lost their lives on the job. This was an increase of almost 13 percent from 162 deaths in 2021. The rate of worker deaths nationwide also increased in 2022 compared to 2021 (by 5.7 percent). In addition, 139,800 nonfatal occupational injuries and illnesses were reported in Pennsylvania.
Common Types of Work Injuries in Pennsylvania
A worker in Pennsylvania could sustain any type of injury while on the job. Statistically, however, certain injuries are reported by workers more often than others. According to the BLS, the following are the most frequently reported worker injuries:
- Sprains, strains and tears
- Back and spinal cord injuries
- Slip, trip and fall injuries
- Musculoskeletal injuries
- Bone fractures
Burn injuries, chemical exposure, cuts and lacerations, and electrocutions are also commonly reported workplace injuries. In addition, workers are at risk of developing job-related illnesses, such as COVID-19 and respiratory diseases.
What Are the Most Dangerous Jobs in Pennsylvania?
Every year, statistics on the national and state levels show that specific industries put workers more at risk of suffering serious injuries than others. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration states that construction is the deadliest industry in the United States, accounting for about one-fourth of all worker deaths annually.
Statistics for the State of Pennsylvania show that the following jobs are the most dangerous, in order by number of injury incidents reported in 2022:
- Transportation and material moving
- Service
- Production
- Health care
- Installation, maintenance and repair
- Sales and related
- Construction and extraction
- Office and administrative support
- Management, business and financial
- Education, legal, community service, arts and media
- Farming, fishing and forestry
- Computer, engineering and science
The most common types of workplace accidents in the U.S. are overexertion, contact with objects and equipment, fall accidents, exposure to harmful substances or environments, violence by persons or animals, and transportation incidents. In 2022, overexertion and bodily reaction cases were the most common, with 1,001,440 reported incidents.
Can You File a Claim in Pennsylvania for a Work Injury?
If you suffer a work injury in Pennsylvania, you may be able to file a workers’ compensation claim and receive no-fault insurance coverage for your related losses. Available benefits include past and future medical expenses, disability costs, partial lost wages, vocational rehabilitation, and death benefits for a deceased loved one.
If another person or party, such as your employer or a product manufacturer, contributed to your workplace injury through negligence, you may also be eligible to file a personal injury claim. Negligence means the failure to act with proper care to protect workers. A lawsuit could result in greater financial compensation for your losses than workers’ comp alone, including pain and suffering.
Before rushing into a workers’ compensation settlement in Pennsylvania, discuss your case with a knowledgeable Pittsburgh personal injury attorney at Dallas W. Hartman P.C., Attorneys at Law during a free consultation. We are passionate about standing up for the rights of injured workers.