Top Workers’ Compensation Statistics You Need To Know

Employers and employees strive to be safe at work. No one wants to get injured. However, things happen. Feet slip. Machinery accidents occur. Equipment malfunctions. And physical injuries can result in loss of work, long-term disability, and even death. Workers’ compensation offers wage replacement and medical care for those who suffer on-the-job injuries or illnesses. Many qualified, physically injured workers’ compensation victims need legal representation to ensure their claim is handled. As a legal professional, here are the top workers’ compensation statistics you need to know.

Current Workers’ Compensation Statistics

According to the most recently reported data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, there were 2.6 million workplace injuries and illnesses, a decrease from the previous year. The total number of cases reported from 2020-2021 increased by 6.3% for 2.2 million cases. Fatal cases, however, increased during the same period. 5,190 fatal work injuries were reported in 2021, an 8.9% increase from 2020.

COVID-19 also affected workers’ compensation claims, specifically during 2020 and 2021. While 2020 showed a drop in nonfatal injury cases, it also showed a higher rate of respiratory illness cases due to quarantine efforts and COVID. Long COVID, defined by the CDC as “an umbrella term for the wide range of health consequences that are present four or more weeks after the infection of SARS-CoV-2,” and the future of its impact on workers’ compensation claims are yet to be seen fully.

In a study regarding COVID workers’ compensation claims, in 2020, 25% of claims incurred medical costs, and the average total medical and indemnity cost was just $4,320. It should come as no surprise that healthcare industry employees account for half of all COVID-19-related claims.

The Latest Compensation Data

According to the National Council on Compensation Insurance (NCCI) Workers Compensation Statistical Plan database, the average cost for all claims combined in 2019-2020 was $41,353. When considering the nature of the injury, the costliest physically injured workers’ compensation claim was for amputation ($118,837), followed by fracture, crush, or dislocation ($60,934), other trauma ($60,288), and burns ($48,671.

When considered by the cause of the injury, motor-vehicle crashes resulted in the highest payout ($85,311), followed by burns ($54,173), slips and falls ($48,575), and caught injuries ($44,588)

These figures are based on insurance settlements. With experienced legal representation, victims will often see higher payouts and better coverage.

Denial and Fraud Statistics

There is always the possibility of getting denied for a workers’ compensation claim. As a lawyer, it’s your job to mitigate those issues. According to a Lockton Companies study, the top 10 most common reasons for worker’s comp denial were:

• No medical evidence of injury
• No injury per the statutory definition
• Failure to report the accident promptly
• Pre-existing condition
• Intoxication or drug-related violation
• Doesn’t meet the definition of an employee
• Reservation of rights may not apply
• Idiopathic condition
• Stress non-work related
• Misrepresentation

When claims were initially denied, the study also found that 67% of denials were ultimately converted and claims paid within 12 months.

Fraud statistics are another concern for lawyers taking on workers’ compensation leads. Sometimes, workers’ compensation denials are justified. While the figures are difficult to estimate, some studies put the number of fraud claims costing $1 billion annually, or 1% to 2% of all workers’ compensation payments.

But those at fault aren’t always the employees. For instance, employers can misclassify employees as interdependent contractors to avoid paying workers’ compensation premiums. This is particularly true for the construction business, where up to 20% of workers are off the books or misclassified.

What Does This Mean For You?

Quality workers’ compensation leads can bring an influx of revenue to your law firm. If you are an experienced workers’ compensation attorney, you know how vital the vetting process is to determine whether the claimant is qualified under the laws. That’s why the workers’ compensation lead generation partner and marketing solutions you choose are so important. Whether you are new to workers’ compensation law or want to grow your caseload, now is the time to get started.

Get Premium, Vetted Leads.

Would you prefer high-volume, exclusive workers’ compensation leads? It’s possible with LeadingResponse. We have physically injured Workers’ Compensation leads, including construction, equipment malfunctions, fires & explosions, chemical exposure, scaffolding, third-party claims, manufacturing, work-related falls, and additional work injuries.

We ask the right questions to ensure our partners receive the highest quality workers’ comp prospects. We set filters in place to determine a viable workers’ comp lead:

• The injury must have occurred while on the job
• The injury must be within one year
• Have missed or will miss more than five full days of work 
• No prior or current attorney representation or rejection

Our workers’ compensation lead filtering ensures you aren’t wasting valuable time. Partnering with LeadingResponse enables you to spend time building cases while our team of digital experts sends real-time worker’s comp leads directly to your inbox or phone.

Ready to Get Started?

We have the resources to provide high-volume, consistent, filtered workers’ compensation leads at a competitive acquisition cost per case. With LeadingResponse at your side, we will get the job done. Contact us now.