Many Oklahoma workers face serious dangers at their job sites. In fact, worker deaths around the country are on the rise, according to a report from the AFL-CIO. In 2016, 5,190 people were killed on the job, compared to 4,836 the year before.
The report found that transportation accidents were the top cause of worker fatalities in 2016, with 2,083. Those deaths included people who were driving motor vehicles at worksites and people who died in traffic accidents while traveling for their employer. The second most common cause of worker fatalities was workplace violence, with 866. The most hazardous industries for workers were agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting, with a fatality rate of 23.3 per 100,000 workers. Meanwhile, the construction industry reported the highest number of worker fatalities, with 991.
According to the AFL-CIO, the people with the highest risk of dying in job-related accidents were older and Latino workers. Workers who were 55 and over accounted for 36 percent of all worker deaths in 2016. Meanwhile, the fatality rate for Latinos was 3.7 per 100,000 workers, which is higher than the national average and the highest among all groups of workers.
Workplace accidents cause thousands of serious injuries across the U.S. each year. Victims of such accidents have the right to file for benefits under their employer’s workers’ compensation insurance. These benefits could compensate them for medical expenses and a percentage of lost wages. The assistance of an attorney could help to ensure that the claim contains all required information and is filed on a timely basis.
Source: Market Watch, “These workers are far more likely to die on the job than others“, Quentin Fottrell, April 26, 2018