An analysis of over 1.2 million workers' compensation claims from the United States reveals the costliest claims are driven by the most common workplace accidents, according to the 2024 Travelers Injury Impact Report. The findings are based on claims received by The Travelers Companies Inc. from 2017 to 2021, the largest workers' compensation insurer in the U.S. 

Overexertion accounted for 29 per cent of injuries among the analyzed claims, while slips, trips, and falls represented 23 per cent, making them the second most frequent cause of injury. 

Inexperience and poor maintenance blamed 

Factors such as inexperience, workforce shortages and maintenance issues are all contributing to these unfortunate and often avoidable accidents - Rich Ives 

When it comes to severe claims, injuries caused by slips, trips, or falls are the top drivers. Next in descending order are overexertion, being struck by an object, motor vehicle accidents, and caught-in or caught-between hazards. The report defines a severe claim as resulting in a compensation of $250,000 USD or more, equivalent to nearly $346,000 CAD. 

“Factors such as inexperience, workforce shortages and maintenance issues are all contributing to these unfortunate and often avoidable accidents,” said Rich Ives, Senior Vice President of Business Insurance Claims at Travelers. “While the number of injuries overall has been trending downward in recent years, our analysis shows that there’s never been a better time for businesses to invest in workplace safety and injury prevention,” Ives added. 

Six million lost workdays 

Travelers reports that employees in their first year on the job remain the most vulnerable to workplace injuries. The report indicates that 35 per cent of workplace injuries occurred during an employee's first year.  

These injuries led to over 6 million lost workdays. First-year injuries also accounted for 32 per cent of total workers' compensation costs, according to the report. 

The report also noted an increase in the number of lost workdays due to injuries: on average, injured employees missed 72 workdays, one more than in last year’s report. 

Construction sector at risk 

The construction industry continues to report the highest average number of lost workdays per injury, at 103 days, up from 99 in the previous report. This sector is followed by the transportation industry, where the average lost workdays increased to 83 from 77. Employees injured in small businesses missed an average of 82 workdays, up from 79 previously, according to Travelers. 

“By understanding where the risks were in the past, businesses can better identify what to look for and tailor their risk management and employee safety strategies accordingly to help prevent injuries from happening,” said Chris Hayes, Assistant Vice President of Workers Compensation and Transportation, Risk Control, at Travelers. 

Similarities with Canada 

In the U.S., workers' compensation primarily relies on the private insurance sector. In Canada, the Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) Regulations under the Canada Labour Code require federally regulated employers to submit an annual report by March 1 for the previous calendar year. 

Of the total reported accidents in 2021 by federally regulated companies, 44.5 per cent were disabling injuries, according to the Government of Canada's 2021 annual report – Occupational injuries in the Canadian federal jurisdiction. Disabling injuries increased from 15,799 in 2020 to 16,432 in 2021, a 4 per cent rise. 

The road transportation, federal public services, air transportation, and postal service sectors accounted for 80.7 per cent of disabling accidents in 2021, according to the Canadian report. It noted that the federal public service sector was the only one among these four to see a decrease in disabling accidents, from 2,810 in 2020 to 2,612 in 2021. 

In 2021, 82.7 per cent of all reported disabling accidents occurred in four provinces: Alberta, British Columbia, Ontario, and Quebec. Alberta was the only one of these provinces to see a decline in disabling accidents, from 1,909 in 2020 to 1,675 in 2021.