According to an annual report issued by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), 4,609 American workers were fatally injured on the job in 2011, which is the equivalent of 3.5 fatal work injuries for every 100,000 full-time workers in Tennessee. Despite efforts by federal agencies to make the workplace safer for American workers, on-the-job accidents remain a major cause of injury and death among employees in Tennessee and across the United States. If you have suffered injuries in a workplace accident in Nashville, or elsewhere in Tennessee, contact our experienced workers’ compensation lawyers at Michael D. Ponce & Associates to discuss your legal options. You may be entitled to financial compensation for your injuries and medical bills, which our attorneys can help you pursue.
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics report indicated that the following ten professions had the highest rate of workplace fatalities in the United States in 2011:
10. Taxi drivers and chauffeurs – 63 fatal work injuries (rate of 19.7 per 100,000 workers); the report indicated that two out of every five workplace fatalities resulted from transportation incidents.
9. Electrical workers – 27 fatal work injuries (rate of 20.3 per 100,000 workers); the report showed 171 deaths from exposure to electricity, which accounts for 4% of all fatal work injuries that year.
8. Truck drivers and driver/sales workers – 759 fatal work injuries (rate of 24 per 100,000 workers); the report indicated a 6% increase in workplace fatalities in this category from 2010.
7. Farmers, ranchers, agricultural managers – 260 fatal work injuries (rate of 25.3 per 100,000 workers); the report showed a 5% decrease in the number of on-the-job fatalities in this category from 2010.
6. Structural iron and steel workers – 16 fatal work injuries (rate of 26.9 per 100,000 workers); according to the report, slips, trips or falls account for 666 workplace deaths, or 14% of all work fatalities.
5. Roofers – 56 fatal work injuries (rate of 31.8 per 100,000 workers); falls to a lower level resulted in 541 workplace fatalities, or 12% of all injuries, in 2011.
4. Recyclable material and refuse collectors – 34 fatal work injuries (rate of 41.2 per 100,000 workers); there were about 119 deaths in 2011 caused by workers getting caught in machinery or equipment, accounting for 3% of workplace deaths.
3. Pilots and flight engineers – 72 fatal work injuries (rate of 57 per 100,000 workers); 146 aircraft incidents in 2011 resulted in worker death, or 3% of all deaths that year.
2. Loggers – 64 fatal work injuries (rate of 102.4 per 100,000 workers); 2011 saw an increase of four deaths among logging workers.
1. Fishers and fishing industry workers – 40 fatal work injuries (rate of 121.2 per 100,000 workers); the rate of fishing industry deaths in 2011 remained constant from 2010.
The most recent BLS report indicates that workplace accidents accounted for an alarming number of fatalities in the United States in 2011, even as the Occupational Health and Safety Administration (OSHA) and other federal agencies take steps to improve worker safety. If you have been injured in an on-the-job accident in Tennessee, or if you lost a loved one in such an accident, our knowledgeable workers’ compensation lawyers at Michael D. Ponce & Associates can help. Our law firm is located in Nashville, and our workers’ comp attorneys have extensive experience protecting the legal rights of Tennessee workers in a variety of industries. With our workers’ compensation lawyers on your side, you can protect your family from further harm and seek fair and timely reimbursement for your losses.
