More Workplace Deaths in 2015 than in the Past Six Years

The federal Bureau of Labor Statistics has recently released its report on the number of on-the-job deaths in 2015, along with the causes of those deaths and the populations most likely to be affected. The results show that more people died at work than in any year since 2008. The families of workers who are seriously injured or killed on the job may have a claim to receive benefits under the Alabama Workers’ Compensation program, and may also have a legal claim for negligence against third parties who were responsible for their loved one’s accident.

According to the report released by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, 4,836 individuals died on the job in 2015. The last year with an equal or greater number of workplace deaths was 2008, when 5,214 people died on the job. Ninety-three percent of all those who died on the job were men. Additionally, the workers who died at a higher rate than those in any other age group were older workers; 650 workers who were 65 or older died on the job. This is the second-highest number of senior workers to die on the job since the Bureau of Labor Statistics began tracking this information, coming in second only to last year’s total number of senior deaths at 684.

The most common cause of death in the workplace is also the most common cause of accidental death in the nation as a whole. The single greatest cause of workplace deaths in 2015 was car or truck accidents, or other so-called “transportation incidents.” Two thousand fifty-four workers died in this manner, comprising 42% of all workplace deaths. This makes the single most lethal occupation that of drivers of tractor-trailers and other heavy trucks, of whom 745 were killed in 2015. Also, 800 people were killed in a fall, trip, or slip accident; 722 were killed after making contact with objects or equipment; and 703 died as a result of violence or injuries inflicted by people or animals.

If you or someone you love has been injured on the job in Alabama and you need help getting the money you deserve for these injuries, seek experienced, dedicated legal help by contacting Montgomery Workers’ Compensation attorney Chip Nix for a consultation, at 334-279-7770.