Are Employers Failing to Report all Workplace Injuries?

Being injured on the job can be troublesome for both employers and employees. Employers face increased costs for workers’ compensation insurance and may have trouble finding or keeping workers and clients if they are perceived as being an unsafe place to work. Employees on the other hand fear reporting on-the-job injuries because they fear being fired, disciplined, ostracized or otherwise treated unfairly.

This means that on both sides of the fence workplace injuries are going unreported. A recent report out of the Government Accountability Office (GAO) claims that the number of workplace injuries and illnesses reported in the United States is low because employers and employees don’t report everything that happens on-the-job.

The GAO report was requested by Congressional leaders, one of whom was Senator Tom Harkin (D, Iowa). The issue is “widespread” according to Senator Harkin, and undermines the government’s efforts to ensure that workplaces are safe and injured workers are taken care of.

Flawed OSHA data?

According to OSHA workplace injuries and deaths have steadily declined since 1992, and the last available statistics are for 2007 when there were 4 million reported injuries, including 5,600 workplace deaths.

However, since OSHA depends only on reports from employers, the GAO believes that the numbers may be low. Considering how much employers have to lose when a worker is injured or killed at work, it is no surprise that some businesses are failing to report to OSHA each time a worker is hurt.

There have been several academic studies which found that OSHA data may be missing up to two-thirds of all workplace issues (injuries, illnesses and deaths). In addition, according to the GAO report employers have also pressured occupational health practitioners to downplay the severity of a worker’s on-the-job injury or provide insufficient medical treatment to such workers.

Ways employers avoid reporting workplace accidents

How employers avoid reporting serious workplace injuries:

Pressure workers to avoid seeking treatment for workplace injuries
Pressure healthcare workers to downplay the severity of a worker’s injuries
If the employer doesn’t like the diagnosis from one healthcare provider, they may “doctor shop” (find another provider who will downplay the extent of a worker’s injuries to protect the employer)
Limit treatment for a serious on-the-job injury to first aid (injuries only requiring first aid are not reportable to OSHA)

How common is the problem? Read more about this in our blog “Do employers pressure healthcare workers to downplay workplace injuries?”

Injured on the job? You deserve better!

Don’t avoid filing a workers’ comp claim because you’re afraid of backlash. Being “black balled” or discriminated against because of an injury claim is illegal. What is most important is that you get the medical treatment you need and if necessary help with day-to-day living expenses while you recover. Please contact the experienced New York workplace accident lawyers at Markhoff & Mittman today for a chance to talk about your case for no cost and no obligation .

Markhoff & Mittman, P.C.

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Suite 400

White Plains, NY 10601

Toll Free: (866) 205-2415

Phone: (914) 946-1452

Fax: (914) 946-0810