Insurer Ranks Leading WC Injuries
Monday, March 19th, 2001 Workers' CompensationThe most common cause of injury that results in workers’ compensation benefits is "overexertion," not repetitive stress, an insurance company study has found. Overexertion injuries were listed as those caused by excessive lifting, pushing, pulling, holding, carrying or throwing of an object. The study by researchers for Liberty Mutual Group in Boston found such injuries accounted for 25.57 percent of benefits, costing $9.8 billion. Repetitive injury came in sixth place. The 10 most common causes were ranked in a report entitled "Liberty Mutual Workplace Safety Index," listing the leading injuries and illnesses that the company said accounted for 86 percent of the $38.7 billion in wage and medical benefits paid by employers in 1998. When indirect costs of workers’ comp claims are added to the $38.7 billion in direct costs, the total economic burden reaches between $125 billion and $155 billion, the study said.
