The most common work-related injuries

In many industries, such as construction, manufacturing, nursing and trucking, workers put their bodies on the line. These jobs are physically demanding and often dangerous. Training and safety equipment prevent many work-related injuries but cannot stop them all from happening.

Virtually any part of your body can suffer an injury, either from an on-the-job accident or after years of labor. But some types of work injuries are more common than others. Here are five of the most common types of work-related injuries.

• Musculoskeletal injuries. In a survey, about 37 percent of workers reported suffering some form of musculoskeletal injury. These can result from lifting heavy objects and other forms of overexertion.
• Slip-and-fall injuries. The next most common type of injury reported in the survey came from trip-and-fall accidents at work. A fall can cause broken bones and worse.
• Machinery injuries. Getting hurt by malfunctioning or defective equipment, or being struck by a falling object, happened to 17 percent of workers in the survey.
• Auto accidents. Twelve percent of workers in the survey said they had gotten hurt in a motor vehicle accident while performing a work task.
• Burns. About three percent of survey participants reported suffering burns from flames, sustained heat or chemical exposure.

Injuries from these workplace accidents can be severe and force you out of work for weeks, months, or even years. During that time, workers’ compensation can help you pay your bills and make up for your lost income. Qualifying can be complicated, but if you have been turned down for workers’ comp, an attorney who practices in this area of the law can be very helpful.