Fort Smith Workers’ Compensation Attorneys – Manufacturing Injuries
No matter where one works or in what industry, there is always the very real risk of an accident. That accident may result in injuries or death. The circumstances of the incident dictate the outcome. Whether the industry is Utilities or Construction or Transportation and Warehousing or Agriculture or Manufacturing, there is always a risk of danger involved. At any time or any place, accidents happen, nationally and statewide. Similar to construction workers, those in manufacturing have the potential to come into contact with dangerous equipment and situations.
At the Fort Smith Law Office of Jason M. Hatfield, our workers’ compensation attorneys who handle manufacturing accidents are here to help you assess your legal options to move forward regarding seeking compensation. We can help you process your workers’ compensation claim and/or a personal injury claim if a third party is involved in the accident that caused your injuries. We’ve got your back.
Workplace Injuries by the Numbers
Nationally, accidents in the workplace reflect the most common causes of injuries sustained on the job. For instance:
- In 2020 there were 1,176,340 nonfatal injuries related to slip, trip, and fall accidents. These can happen in virtually any injury, including manufacturing. This figure represents 18 percent of the accidents.
- The three leading causes of work-related injuries were slips, trips, and falls, slips and trips without a fall, overexertion and the body’s reaction, and contact with equipment and objects.
- In all industries, 196,140 injuries were the result of coming into contact with equipment and objects with an outcome severe enough to take time off work.
- Work-related vehicle crashes took the lives of 1,038 American workers in 2020, 22 percent of all deaths.
- Younger workers, those under 25, had higher rates of injuries treated in emergency departments than any other age group. Experience on the job and adherence to proper safety precautions plays a large role here.
- In 2020, 1.8 million workers in all industries were survivors of work-related accidents treated in emergency rooms.
- Emergency rooms were busy in 2020 with all industry-related injuries, estimated to be 127 injuries per 100,000 full-time workers.
- A significant number of workplace injuries happen in the healthcare and construction industries.
- As of July 2018, 725 workers’ compensation claims were filed in Arkansas.
- A worker died every 101 minutes from a work-related injury.
Types of Industries in Arkansas with the Most Workplace Injuries
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, there were 4,764 work-related deaths nationally in 2020. In 2020, the industries with the highest rates of work-related deaths were agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting, construction (which may involve manufacturing on the worksite), and warehousing and transportation.
In Arkansas, the picture was different. Using Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) data, the following industries were ranked according to the highest rate of job injuries in 2021. Note that the manufacturing industry ranked number 9 out of 19 in the following list.
1. Educational Services – 2021 injuries 1
2. Wholesale Trade – 2021 injuries 418
3. Real Estate Rental and Leasing – 2021 injuries 5
4. Mining – 2021 injuries 7
5. Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation – 2021 injuries 29
6. Retail Trade – 2021 injuries 1,344
7. Transportation and Warehousing – 2021 injuries 1,233
8. Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing, Hunting – injuries 2021 68
9. Manufacturing – 2021 injuries 2,590
10. Construction – 2021 injuries 267
11. Other Services (except Public Administration) – 2021 injuries 62
12. Utilities – 2021 injuries 55
13. Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services – 2021 injuries 152
14. Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services – 2021 injuries 6
15. Information – 2021 injuries 3
16. Finance and Insurance – 2021 injuries 2
17. Accommodation and Food Services – 2021 injuries 48
18. Management of Companies and Enterprises – 2021 injuries 3
19. Health Care and Social Assistance – 2021 injuries 1,979
In the Manufacturing industry in Arkansas in 2021 there were 8 fatalities due to injuries and 4 deaths after coming into contact with objects and equipment. In 2020 Arkansas saw 3 deaths in the manufacturing industry and 1 in the transportation industry.
The most important point to take away from the number of injuries and deaths in the various industries in Arkansas, including manufacturing, is that anyone injured or killed while on the job is entitled to file a workers’ compensation claim. At the Law Office of Jason M. Hatfield, we’re here to answer all of your questions and outline what your legal rights are when filing a workers’ compensation claim and/or a wrongful death lawsuit.
Who is Covered by Workers’ Compensation in Arkansas?
According to the law in Arkansas, employers that have three or more workers must have workers’ compensation. This includes anyone considered to be a worker, such as borrowed employees, day laborers, leased workers, some subcontractors, some part-time workers, and some unpaid volunteers.
Each situation is different, and the status of the injured worker at the time of an accident is important. This is why if you have been involved in an accident where you work in manufacturing or another industry, it is best to discuss your case in depth with our workers’ compensation attorneys at the Law Office of Jason M. Hatfield.
Another reason to know your work status is that employers often call workers independent contractors to avoid paying workers’ compensation. This misclassification can make it difficult to receive workers’ compensation benefits, but it is not impossible. At the Law Office of Jason M. Hatfield, we check your job status, the work you are performing, what job requirements you have, and your position to determine if you have been misclassified.
Common Types of Workplace Injuries
There are many workplace injuries in all Arkansas industries, including the manufacturing sector. Some of those injuries include:
- Amputation
- Ankle injuries
- Back injuries
- Broken bones
- Brain injuries, concussions, traumatic brain injury
- Burns, scalds
- Crush injuries
- Death
- Electrocution
- Finger injuries
- Fractures
- Foot injuries
- Head injuries
- Hand injuries
- Herniated discs
- Internal organ damage
- Internal bleeding
- Infections
- Knee injuries
- Ligament tears and sprains
- Lacerations, bruising
- Lower back injuries
- Lower leg injuries
- Multiple body systems and parts
- Neck Injuries
- Paralysis
- Shoulder injuries
- Spinal cord injuries
- Whiplash injuries
- Wrist injuries
According to the 2022 Liberty Mutual Workplace Safety Index, serious and non-fatal accidents accounted for approximately $50 billion in workers’ compensation costs in 2019.
The Top Ten Causes of Workplace Injuries
Arkansas workers in the various industries in the state face the daily possibility of being involved in an accident. The 2022 Liberty Mutual Workplace Safety Index reports that there are ten top causes of accidents in various industries, including manufacturing.
The top ten include the following:
- Overexertion – this may be the result of moving, lifting, pushing, or pulling objects every day. Nationwide, these injuries cost workers’ compensation $12.63 billion in 2019.
- Same-level falls – extremely common at any workplace and usually the result of a slip, trip, and fall. These injuries cost $10.26 billion nationally in workers’ compensation
- Struck by equipment or object – this is a leading cause of serious injuries and death in many industries, including manufacturing and construction. Flying objects and pieces of machinery injuring workers resulted in $5.66 billion in workers’ compensation being paid out in 2019.
- Falling from a height – while not as common as same-level falls, these types of accidents resulted in $5.07 billion in workers’ compensation.
- Bodily reaction or other exertions – accidents like this are the result of a worker engaging in excessive physical motion. This may involve repetitive actions. Injuries like this resulted in $4.01 billion in workers’ comp payouts.
- Vehicle accidents – the crashes may involve such vehicles as motorcycles to trucks, and passengers to pedestrians. There was $3.59 billion paid out in workers’ compensation in 2019.
- Slip, trip, but no fall – slipping can cause a worker to try and correct their balance and, in the end, put something out of alignment or hit a metal rail or nearby moving machinery, a desk, or a dangerous object. Accidents like this in 2019 resulted in $2.52 billion in workers’ compensation payouts.
- Caught by accidents – these involve a worker being compressed or caught in objects or equipment while at work. If the worker survives, many have crushed body parts. There was $21.19 billion paid out nationwide in workers’ compensation benefits.
- Struck against accidents – these involve a worker walking into an object or a piece of equipment. There was $1.87 billion in workers’ compensation paid nationally in 2019.
- Off-road accidents in vehicles – these involve accidents that happen in places like a parking lot, in a factory involving moving equipment, or in a field. Nationally, there was $1.39 billion paid out in workers’ compensation in 2019.
Accidents can happen at any time. Anywhere. To anyone. In any industry. If you have been injured while at work, speak to our Fort Smith workers’ compensation lawyers to find out how to file a claim, what your rights are, and what to expect as the claim progresses. Worker’s compensation is complicated, and we understand that. That’s why we are here for you, to answer all of your questions.
For those who may be interested in knowing more about fatalities by occupation, those statistics may be found HERE. For those who may be interested in knowing more about death rates by occupation, industry, and worker demographics, those statistics may be found HERE.
Contact the Fort Smith Law Office of Jason M. Hatfield, P.A. Today
If you have suffered a serious accident at work, you are entitled to compensation through a workers’ compensation claim. Or, if the injury was caused in an accident involving a negligent third party, you may be able to file a personal injury lawsuit.
At the Fort Smith Law Office of Jason M. Hatfield, our workers’ compensation manufacturing injury attorneys are here to help you with your claim and/or a personal injury lawsuit. We know you are worried about the future, about how to pay your bills, and when you can return to work. We’ve got your back.
Every case is unique, and damage awards or workers’ compensation benefits depend on the nature of the accident and the severity of your injuries. We have decades of solid experience helping injured workers.
Reach out to the Law Office of Jason M. Hatfield by calling (479) 361-3575. Our dedicated team of Fort Smith manufacturing injury lawyers is here to help. Call us today for a free initial consultation and to find out how we can help you.