According to preliminary data from the Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries, there were 4,679 fatal work injuries in the United States in 2014. If accurate, this would represent a 2 percent increase from 2013. Overall, there were 3.3 fatalities for every 100,000 full-time equivalent workers. The highest fatality rate belonged to the logging industry, with a rate of 109.5 deaths per 100,000 FTE workers.
Roofers had the fourth-highest fatality rate of 46.2 per 100,000 FTE workers. Other occupations that made the top 10 deadliest jobs in America list include refuse and recyclable material collectors, structural iron and steel workers and electrical power line installers. In 2014, deaths involving workers who were over the age of 55 increased by 9 percent to 1,621, which was the highest number ever reported in the CFOI.
Deaths involving self-employed workers increased by 10 percent in 2014 to 1,047. Fatalities among police officers and police supervisors increased by 17 percent from 2013 to 2014. There were 103 police or police supervisor fatalities in 2014. Female workers died at a rate 13 percent higher in 2014 compared to 2013, but they accounted for only 8 percent of all worker fatalities during that year.
Those who have been injured in an on-the-job accident may be eligible to file a claim for workers’ compensation benefits, that could include the provision of necessary medical care and treatment, reimbursement of prior medical bills and the payment of a percentage of any lost wages. An attorney who has experience with these matters can often be of assistance in the preparation and submission of the claim. Legal counsel can also provide representation in the appeal of a denied claim.
Rubin, Glickman, Steinberg & Gifford P.C.
Pennsylvania Attorney's
October 5, 2015
