Worker compensation is a type of insurance that helps an employee recover from injuries suffered in the line of work. While no one wants to get injured, accidents do happen and especially at the work place. This is despite the fact that a lot of employers spend a considerable amount of money on educating their workers on safe practices. Accidents can still happen.

Let’s look at the ten most common types of workers’ compensation claims.

1.   Slip/Trip and Falls

A lot of claims related to slips, trips and falls are due to an employee slipping on wet floor at the workplace. Many of these include instances of slipping and falling on snowy walkways. Store clerks and security staff are often the victims of freshly mopped floors.

2.   Fall to Lower Level

This usually happens when a worker falls off a roof, a ladder or down a flight of stairs. Construction sites often have such incidents given the multi-level workspace. Stairs are quite common in places such as schools and hospitals and anyone can fall down on them.

3.   Struck by an Object

Being struck by an object usually happens when something falls off from a higher place like a shelf or someone drops something from a higher level to a worker on a lower level. Employees in retail and restaurants are often struck by objects in this way.

4.   Struck Against an Object

Consider this the opposite of being struck by an object. This is where a worker falls onto something and gets injured as a result. This object can be something small like a stationary object or something big like a barricade. Factory and office workers are quite prone to falling on something.

5.   Overexertion

When an injury occurs due to a person lifting, pushing, pulling or throwing something, it’s referred to as overexertion. The injury happens when a muscle is pulled or a joint’s movement is extended beyond the normal range of motion. Factory workers, construction workers and police officers are most prone to overexertion.

6.   Bodily Reaction

This happens when someone slips or trips and avoids falling, but still ends up getting injured like getting a twisted ankle. Bodily reaction is quite common in nurses and police officers.

7.   Machinery Accidents

This usually involves heavy machinery crushing or mutilating a worker. Often seen in construction sites and factories, machinery accidents have enormous financial consequences because of the medical care and procedures that usually follow.

Many times the accident can render an employee unfit to work in the future. This is why employers deliver training to workers so they operate the machinery as safely as possible.

8.   Repetitive Motion

Repetitive injures are somewhat difficult to locate and prove. Repetitive motions such as using a mouse, typing on a keyboard and lifting boxes can cause repetitive injury. Carpal tunnel syndrome, bursitis and tendonitis are examples of common repetitive injuries.

9.   Highway Incident

This is when an accident occurs while driving for business purposes. As you can imagine, highway incidents are most common for truck drivers due to the nature of their job. Other employees such as police officers and traveling sales reps are also prone to such incidents.

10.        Workplace Violence

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, 375 workers were killed by being shot on the job in 2012. Although hardly anyone expects workplace violence, the sad truth is that it sometimes does happen.

The better informed you are about workers’ compensation claims, the better your chances of protecting yourself during a claim.