Often when we think of a worker filing a Connecticut workers’ compensation claim we think of an injury. Our minds turn to visions of a worker who hurt himself falling off of a high ladder or another worker who suffered a broken hand when she hit it with a hammer. These types of injuries are not the only work related health issues that arise throughout the state.
A recent study by UCONN Health found that the state sees 25,000 work related illnesses on average. The study, which spanned multiple decades of time, looked at data from 1997 - 2018 and found that on average workers’ were falling ill about 25,000 times per year. Researchers looked at worker’s compensation data, physicians’ reports to the Occupational Illnesses and Injury Surveillance System, and the Bureau of Labor Statistics/Connecticut Department of Labor annual survey of employees.
The following illnesses were found to be occupational hazards:
- Lung disease
- Hearing loss
- Skin conditions
- Chronic musculoskeletal conditions
- Stress
- Headaches
- Heart conditions
- Other conditions that were difficult to classify medically
While these are not the only medical conditions that the study reported out, they were found to be the most common cause of occupational injury.
This study was researched and released well before the COVID-19 pandemic occurred in the state, but it does note that infectious diseases can be a cause for concern including things like bloodborne exposure in the health care industry.
If you or a loved one fell ill due to conditions at your workplace, you may want to have a board certified attorney review your Connecticut workers’ compensation claim. Contact our office immediately.
