Study: Disabled Workers Are More Likely to be Injured on the Job

November 10, 2012

Being disabled can often present many challenges, especially in a work environment. A recent study looked at the disabled worker in the workplace and discovered that these workers are more prone to workplace accidents. Fortunately, employers can take preventative steps against injury to help protect employees.

The study

The study was conducted and then appeared in the American Journal of Public Health. It used computer-assisted interviews from the 2006-2010 National Health Interview study to find that disabled employees are injured more frequently than employees that are not disabled.

This holds true for occupational and non-occupational injuries. For non-occupational injuries among disabled employees, the rate is 16.4 per 100 workers every year. The rate for employees that are not disabled is 6.4 per 100 workers. For occupational injuries, the disabled employee has a rate of 6 per 100 compared to a rate of 2.3 per 100 for workers that do not have disabilities.

Common types of injuries and employer preventative measures

There are two leading causes for these occupational and non-occupational injuries. The first is falls and the second is transportation-related injuries (e.g. work-related car accidents).

Although these causes can sometimes lead to extensive damage to an individual, the authors of the study believe that the two causes may be easy to address. The environment that the workers are in is the biggest contributor to the causes, and if employers work to ensure that the workplace is safe and they have good safety procedures in place, it is likely that the number of injuries for all employees, disabled and not, would go down.

When Faced with Injury on the Job

Being injured while on the job never presents a good situation and can happen despite employer or employee precautions. Injured employees can often feel overwhelmed with the process and frustrated as they search for ways to obtain compensation for their injuries.

If you are injured at work, speaking with an experienced workers' compensation lawyer can be beneficial. An experienced attorney can work beside you to ensure that you receive all of the compensation that you deserve. This can include costs for medical bills, paid time for missed work and compensation for pain and suffering. Workers' compensation law can be an uphill battle, but it's one that no one should face alone.

Article provided by Crossman Law Offices, P.C.
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