Starting a new job is exciting. New roles, new responsibilities, and new relationships are par for the course. The first year on the job, however, is also rife with risks. The 2023 Travelers Injury Impact Report claims new employees are at the highest-risk for on-the-job injuries. Good news: all employees are covered by employer workers’ comp insurance beginning on their first day on the job. Experienced workers’ compensation attorneys are also here to help workers—regardless of seniority—with claims. 

The recent 2023 Travelers Injury Impact Report analyzed more than 1.2 million lost time workers’ compensation claims from 2016 through 2020. Based on these submitted claims, injuries occurring during the first year on the job made up 34% of all workers’ compensation costs. Overexertion caused nearly 29% of these injuries, followed by slips, trips, and falls (23%), struck by an object (13%), motor vehicle accidents (5%), and caught-in or caught-between hazards (5%).

Why are new employees more vulnerable than longer-term workers? Experience. Seasoned employees are more familiar with proper procedures, safety measures, and personal barriers with labor. First-year workers’—unfamiliar with day-to-day conditions and bodily limits—are more likely to engage in risky behavior such as pushing boundaries by overworking.

So does this mean older employees are at a lower risk for workplace injuries? No. The 2023 Travelers report also concludes workers aged 35 through 49 have the highest-rate of on-the-job accidents. Average cost per claim also rises with age with workers above the age of 35 costing nearly 4x more than individuals under 18. Average costs for employees aged 60 and older is nearly 15% more than employees between the ages of 35 and 49.

This data is largely helpful to employers and insurance providers—highlighting areas in which to increase safety training and guidance. For workers, this serves as a reminder that workplace injuries are all too common.

Poirier Law Firm is here to help any worker following an on-the-job injury—from first-year to thirty-year employees. An experienced workers’ compensation attorney like Julie Poirier has seen it all and knows how to handle any case. If you are injured on the job, contact Poirier Law Firm today.

Source: https://www.insurancejournal.com/news/national/2023/05/05/719437.htm