New Jersey workers may want to read about a new report issued by the AFL-CIO. According to the report, as many as 150 people die every day in the U.S., either as a result of being injured on the job or due to contracting diseases in the course of their employment.
The AFL-CIO relied on statistics released by the U.S. Department of Labor in making their findings. Reportedly, just in 2013 alone, approximately 50,000 people died from occupational diseases while another 4,500 were killed in on-the-job injury accidents.
The states logging the highest rates of worker deaths were North Dakota and Texas, due to their reliance on hydraulic fracturing in the oil and gas industry. Across the nation, however, the fatality rates for Hispanic workers has continued to increase. The AFL-CIO points to the increasing reliance on Hispanic workers in the construction industry, which continues to be one of the most dangerous to its workers.
On-the-job injuries happen all too frequently in companies across the country. Due to the prevalence of the problem, employer safety practices are heavily regulated by the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration and by state agencies as well. Most employers in New Jersey are also mandated to cover their employees via workers’ compensation insurance. A worker who is seriously injured in the course of employment might want to speak to a workers’ compensation attorney. After a determination that the injured worker is eligible, an attorney may be able to assist in filing a claim for benefits to which the client may be entitled, including medical expenses, ongoing treatment needs and a percentage of wages lost during the period of recovery.