One county in Colorado recently learned what types of workers’ compensation claims were more prevalent in their area. The statistics looked at how many settlements were paid on claims made by workers for injuries sustained on-the-job.
Work accidents occur for a number of reasons. Sometimes employees are not properly trained on how to use equipment. In other situations, the work environment itself could pose hazardous to workers; an example of this is when there are toxic chemical is in the air. So what are some of the more common work-related accidents?
In Las Animas County, Colorado, these accidents include:
- Slip-and-falls accidents
- Lifting accidents
- Training accidents
A number of the lifting accidents involved bridge and road workers. And while the number of lift accidents was lower than the number of slip-and-falls, the injuries sustained tended to be more severe for the worker.
It is noted that some of the injuries were the result of training accidents. This could reflect the need for workplaces to provide adequate safety training and procedures for each employee. Often this can help decrease the number of serious workplace injuries.
The report was also generated in part to determine how costly workers’ compensations claims could be. Injured workers have to deal with a number of financial challenges that arise after a work accident. Workers face growing medical bills that can be difficult to manage especially when the injury prevents the worker from performing their job.
When injured because of a work accident, workers often find themselves trying to figure out how to get benefits while they are recovering. Dealing with insurance companies only makes the situation more frustrating for the injured worker. But workers’ compensation benefits can help an employee recover from the injury, alleviating some of the stress that can come from financial challenges.
Source: The Trinidad-Times online, “County commended for preventing accidents, losses,” Steve Block, 24 May 2011
