This Just In …
Costliest Work Comp Claims Still Come from Car Crashes
According to the latest NCCI data, the costliest lost-time workers’ compensation claims by cause of injury result from motor-vehicle crashes, averaging $90,914 per workers’ compensation claim filed in 2021 and 2022. This figure has increased slightly from the average of $85,311 per claim for crashes in 2019 and 2020.
The other causes with above-average costs were:
- Burns: $54,173
- Falls or slips: $48,575
- Caught: $44,588 (NCCI defines “caught” as “when a person, or part of a person’s body, is squeezed, pinched, compressed, or crushed in operating equipment, between other meshing or shifting objects, between two stationary objects, or in wire or rope.”)
Nature of Injury
The costliest lost-time workers’ compensation claims by nature of injury are for those resulting from amputation, averaging $118,837 per workers’ compensation claim filed in 2021 and 2022. The next highest costs were for injuries resulting in fracture, crush, or dislocation ($60,934), other trauma ($60,288), and burns ($48,671).
Part of Body
The costliest lost-time workers’ compensation claims by part of body are for those involving the head or central nervous system, averaging $93,942 per claim filed in 2021 and 2022. The next highest costs were for injuries involving multiple body parts ($62,859). Injuries to the hip, thigh, and pelvis ($59,758), leg ($59,748), neck ($59,391), and arm or shoulders ($49,116) also had above-average costs.
The Good News
According to a recent article by Claims Journal, overall frequency and severity of claims have been improving lately. When looking at all claims, the claims that cost less than $5,000 increased by 21% in 2021, thus pointing to the decline in overall claims severity.
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Costliest Work Comp Claims Still Come from Car Crashes
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2025 NCCI Annual Updates on State Workers Comp Regulations and Legislation
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