The government recently had some good news about on-the-job fatalities in the United States: Nationwide, the number of workplace deaths declined to the lowest level over the past two decades.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, a preliminary total of 4,609 fatal work injuries were recorded nationally in 2011, which is a drop from the previous year, when there were 4,690 deadly work injuries. The decline in workplace fatalities has continued for the past 17 years, according to the Houston Chronicle, which reported on the fatal workplace accident statistics.
As Los Angeles workers compensation lawyers, we know how devastating fatal workplace injuries can be on families. Our mission has been to help injured employees obtain the workers comp benefits they need after an on-the-job accident. We also assist families who have lost loved ones in workplace accidents.
In California, fatal workplace accidents unfortunately are not unusual and may require the help of an experienced workplace injury attorney in Los Angeles. California is ranked as one of the deadliest states in the nation when it comes to workplace injuries. California recorded 360 fatalities in 2011, second to Texas, which recorded 433 fatalities. California was one of the few states that saw the number of occupational fatalities rise, from 326 in 2010 to 360 a year later.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that transportation incidents accounted for more than 40 percent of all fatal work injuries in 2011 in the United States. In California, there were 118 fatal transportation incidents. Nationwide, 15 percent of all deadly workplace accidents involved contact with objects and equipment. Fifty workers died this way in California. The third most common fatal accident in the United States involved falls, which comprised 14 percent of fatal accidents in 2011. In California, 60 people died in 2011 from slips, trips or falls.
The report also noted that fatalities disproportionately involved men. And the most dangerous professions? That would be fishers and fishing workers, who experienced a fatality rate of 121.2 workers per 100,000 workers. By comparison, the average fatality rate for all jobs is 3.5 workers per 100,000 full-time workers. Logging workers had the second deadliest job, with a fatality rate of 102.4 per 100,000. Pilots and flight engineers have the third most dangerous job, with 57 fatalities per 100,000.
Out of the top 10 most dangerous jobs, truckers and traveling sales workers recorded the most fatalities in 2011. There were 795 deaths of workers in those occupations in 2011.
If you were injured on the job and need a workers comp attorney serving Santa Ana, Rancho Santa Margarita, Los Angeles and other communities throughout South California, contact California Law Associates. Call 714-542-3377 today for your free consultation. We can assist you if you were injured on the job or if you lost a loved one in a fatal workplace accident.
California Law Associates
3540 Wilshire Boulevard, Suite 615
Los Angeles, CA 90010 22342
California Law Associates
