The Travelers Injury Impact Report
As a leading workers compensation carrier, Travelers knows firsthand that injuries can occur in any business, regardless of industry or size. To provide businesses with a better understanding of what’s happening in their workplaces, Travelers recently analyzed more than 1.5 million workers compensation claims submitted from 2015 through 2019. The resulting insights can help businesses develop and enhance workplace safety practices to create safer environments for all employees.
INJURY IMPACT REPORT
Employee Injury Trends
35% of workplace injuries occurred during a worker’s first year on the job.
The most common causes of first-year injuries were:
27% Overexertion
22% Slips, trips and falls
14% Struck by an object
6% Cuts and punctures
6% Caught-in or -between hazards
6% Motor vehicle accidents
First-year injuries resulted in more than 6 million missed workdays, representing 37% of all missed workdays.
The most common resulting injuries of first-year employees were:
38% Strains and sprains
13% Fractures
9% Contusions
6% Cuts and puncture wounds
6% Inflammation
6% Dislocations
The most expensive workers compensation claims involving first-year employees, accounting for 26% of total claim costs but just 8% of total claims, were amputations, multiple traumas, electric shocks and dislocations.
Industries most affected by first-year injuries:
Restaurants
53% of claims and 47% of claim costs
Construction
48% of claims and 52% of claim costs
Services
43% of claims and 38% of claim costs
Transportation
39% of claims and 41% of claim costs
Findings Across All Employees and Industries
The injuries analyzed kept workers across all industries out of work for more than 17 million days.
The most common causes of all injuries were:
29% Overexertion
23% Slips, trips and falls
14% Struck by an object
5% Motor vehicle accidents
The industries with the highest average of missed workdays were construction (98), transportation (88) and services (69).
The most common resulting injuries of all workers were:
38% Strains and sprains
13% Fractures
8% Contusions
7% Inflammation
7% Dislocations
5% Cuts and puncture wounds
The most expensive injuries were dislocations, head trauma and fractures.
Body parts most commonly affected were:
13% Lower back
12% Shoulders
10% Knees
6% Fingers
6% Wrists
All data included is Travelers indemnity claim data, in accident years 2015-19. Zero-dollar claims excluded. Valued Dec. 31, 2020. Losses are unlimited and undeveloped. Unless otherwise noted, data points highlighted in this infographic represent claims across all employees and industries.
The Travelers Indemnity Company and its property casualty affiliates. One Tower Square, Hartford, CT 06183
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2023 Travelers Injury Impact Report [PDF]
Learn more about injury trends, including the most common resulting injuries.
