November 19, 2019
Injuries in the workplace are a costly problem for retailers. The costliest worker’s compensation claims highlight a growing trend that isn’t improving year over year.
Injuries to retail workers cause employees to miss an average of 24 days from work, according to claims data analyzed by AmTrust Financial Services, which analyzed more than 20,000 workers’ compensation insurance claims from the company’s retail clients with loss payments from 2016 to 2018. The AmTrust Retail Risk Report found that the top three injuries with highest average payout are:
• Fall or slip from ladder or scaffolding: $21,000;
• Strain or injury by repetitive motion: $14,000; and
• Motor vehicle collision with another vehicle: $13,900.
The report also found that among the top 10 injuries, 23% of claims payments were associated with lifting, and that the average loss paid is greater for men ($11,641) than women ($7,030). The most hazardous retail classes sectors are meat, fish, or poultry retail; hardware; automobile parts; and barbershop or hair salon.
“Analyzing three-years of data gave us new insights into why people in retail miss work, what kind of injuries are the worst or most expensive for employers, and how long it takes for an employee to return to work,” said a top AmTrust executive. “It reinforced our belief that training – in both operations and safety — is essential in the retail sector, especially for younger workers where we tend to see more workers’ compensation claims. Lost time is detrimental to both the injured employee and the employer. This report provides visibility into retail risk and insight into how to decrease the occurrence and severity of these costly situations.”
In addition to the painful expense from missed days and workers comp claims, employers open themselves to a multitude of different potential claims. The majority of injuries would have been prevented with better employer oversight, training, and policies. The lurking hidden cost of lawsuits is waiting to surprise employers at any time.
If you have been injured on the job and think you may have a claim, contact us today at 818-630-7280 or email info@jlglawyers.com.
JLG Lawyers is a Glendale, California based law firm specializing in wrongful termination.