Read the most common claims against Workers’ Comp.
Anyone can get hurt or fall ill on the job. And if you’re a small business owner, the responsibility for that can fall to you. If you have workers’ compensation insurance, it could help pay for employee medical bills, rehabilitative care or lost income. But to access the benefits of your policy, you first must file a workers’ comp claim.
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More than 2.5 million workers get injured or sick on the job each year, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. That’s why most states require employers to provide workers’ compensation insurance for their employees.
If there’s an employee injury or illness at your business, a workers’ comp insurance claim can help cover:
To unlock benefits, employers and employees must first file a workers comp claim.
Filing a claim means that an employee and an employer reported the incident to their insurance company.
In all states that require workers’ comp, the insurer reviews claims, determines which benefits employees (or their families in the case of death) should receive and how long those benefits will last.
Learn more about how to file a workers’ compensation claim.
In 2022 (the most recent data available), the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that employees were sick more, injured more, and suffered more workplace fatalities than they did the previous year.
And with more employees missing work and requiring medical care and job reassignment, the cost of keeping them healthy and productive is passed on to employers and their workers comp insurers.
The numbers tell the story of how workers’ comp could help support small business owners concerned about costs. “Private industry employers reported 2.8 million nonfatal workplace injuries and illnesses in 2022, up 7.5% from 2021,” reports the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Injuries went up 4.5 percent to 2.3 million cases, and illnesses went up 26.1 percent to 460,700 cases.
And ill and injured workers miss a lot of work. In 2021 and 2022, there were 2.2 million cases of workers missing days away from their job.
The most common reasons for illness and injury include exposure to harmful substances, bodily injury from overexertion and repetition, and slip and fall incidents.
MOST COMMON WORKPLACE INJURIES AND ILLNESSES FOR WORKERS
| ILLNESS OR INJURY | NUMBER OF CASES 2021-2022 |
| Exposure to harmful substances or environments | 634,080 |
| Overexertion and bodily reaction | 521,350 |
| Falls, slips and trips | 450,540 |
| Contact with objects or equipment | 450,050 |
| Violence and other injuries from people or animal | 85,410 |
| Transportation incidents | 85,000 |
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor and Statistics
The tragic incidence of employee death related to the workplace is also trending up. There were 5,486 fatal work injuries recorded in the United States in 2022, a 5.7-percent increase from 5,190 in 2021, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports.
With an increase in illness and injury and workplace fatalities, small businesses can face a wide range of workers’ compensation insurance claims. Here are some possible scenarios.
If, say, an electrician suffers severe injuries and requires emergency room services, several weeks of hospital care and a month of rehabilitation, workers’ comp can help.
Workers’ compensation coverage could help pay for medical bills and a portion of the electrician’s salary until they return to work.
Your workers’ compensation insurance could replace some of the worker’s lost income during recovery. A workers’ comp policy could also cover rehabilitative medical care, as well as the cost of medications and doctor’s visits to help speed the healing.
If one of your painters suffers wrist and ankle fractures and a sprained back after falling from a ladder, a workers’ compensation policy could help cover their bills while they recover.
Without the concern for the financial loss of treatment, a worker can avoid the financial blow of a career-ending, life-changing disability.
If an employee forgets protective eye gear and toxic chemicals seriously injure their eyes, ongoing medical care could be covered by workers’ comp to help them recover from a temporary or permanent loss of vision.
No one wants to think about it, but it could happen: An accident on the job could lead to death.
A workers’ compensation insurance plan could help cover the costs of burial and a percentage of living expenses for the deceased worker — both of which could be very helpful to help a worker’s family survive financially at a time of loss.
Fatal workplace injuries can result from falls from high roofs, construction equipment accidents or a collision in a company vehicle. The tragedy is huge. As are the financial challenges that can follow.
Employees must report a work-related injury or illness to their employer as soon as possible. It varies, but state laws usually require notice within 10 to 90 days.
Employers need to check with their local labor department for the notice period in your state.
It’s a good idea to keep written documents of all incident reporting just in case it’s needed later on.
Be sure to keep track of:
Employers should include workers’ comp notice requirements in their employee handbook so workers know exactly what to do after they get hurt or sick.
Once employees provide notice to their employers, the clock starts ticking to notify the insurance company. Employees should file a workers’ compensation claim with their insurance company as soon as possible. Note that this step often involves written documentation from a doctor.
It varies by state, but a business generally has between one and three years after an employee injury or illness to submit a claim to their insurance provider.
If you or your employees have a work-related injury or illness and you have a NEXT workers’ compensation policy, follow these three steps:
If the claim is approved, NEXT will help pay for treatment, lost wages and any other approved benefits in your policy.
If your claim is denied, our adjuster will inform you and the injured worker and provide written documentation of the reasons for denial.
The denial can be contested with your state’s labor department or division of workers’ compensation.
Learn more about how to file a workers’ comp claim with NEXT.
NEXT makes it fast, easy and affordable to protect your small business — and you can do it all online.
We’ll ask a few questions about your business and give you a quote. You can select your coverage options and purchase your policy — all in about 10 minutes. Your certificate of insurance will be available immediately, and you can access your policy 24/7 via web or mobile app.
If you have questions, our licensed, U.S.-based insurance professionals are available to help.
