Almost 350 workers in Missouri, Illinois and Arkansas suffered fatal injuries on the job in 2013, which is the most recent year of reporting by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. That's a combined increase of about 17 percent over 2012. Overall, the number of U.S. workers killed on the job actually decreased about 6 percent during the same period. The 2013 figures are preliminary and the government will release final tallies this spring.
The current 2013 breakout of fatal work injuries in Missouri, Illinois and Arkansas is as follows:
• 113 workers died on the job in Missouri; up 28 percent over 2012
• 172 workers died on the job in Illinois; up 18 percent over 2012
• 62 workers died on the job in Arkansas; one less worker than 2012
Transportation-related accidents accounted for the largest cause of deaths in the workplace; about 40 percent of all such fatalities in Missouri, Illinois and Arkansas. Incidents of workplace violence were the second largest cause.
However, some 8 percent of worker deaths in 2013 in the three states were caused by "exposure to harmful substances and environments." While another 13 workers in Missouri, Illinois and Arkansas were killed in on-the-job fires or explosions.
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics offers only these broad event categories for catastrophic worker injuries. It does not assign blame - whether or not a worker's death was the fault of the employer.
It is important to remember that these statistics represent actual human lives lost. They are mothers and fathers, daughters and sons. So if workplace conditions were knowingly unsafe and led to the tragic death of an employee, the employer should be held accountable.
Attorneys experienced in matters of wrongful death investigate catastrophic workplace injuries and seek compensation from those responsible for the surviving family members. One may be of help to you if you're in this tragic situation.
The choice of a lawyer is an important decision that should not be based solely on advertising.
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