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Fatal Work Accident Statistics 2020 – Comparing West Virginia with the United States
As more attention is focused on preventing work-related fatalities, Robinette Legal Group, PLLC has created an infographic demonstrating how West Virginia’s fatal accident rates exceed the United States worker death rates.
No doubt that we all hope to never witness another year like 2020. Due to Covid-19 restrictions, millions of people either lost their jobs or were temporarily prevented from working. The one benefit to the government-mandated shutdowns during the pandemic was that worker deaths decreased by 10.7% in 2020 as compared to 2019.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics in its annual report, there were4,764 fatal workplace injuries in 2020. This represents the lowest annual number of workplace injury deaths since 2013. These numbers do not take into account workers who died from Covid-19 exposure.
Even so, one workplace death is one too many, and statistics are meaningless to those families who suddenly and tragically lost loved ones due to workplace accidents.
Sadly, West Virginia is still seeing worker death rates that are higher than the national averages, especially from accidents involving large trucks. The worker death rate in West Virginia in 2020 of 6.6 deaths per 100,000 workers was nearly double the worker death rate for the United States as a whole (3.4 deaths per 100,000 workers).
For the U.S.A. as a whole, the number of workers killed as a percentage of the total population was 0.0014. For West Virginia, however, it was 0.0026.
Similarly, for the U.S.A. as a whole, the number of fatalities from transport-related incidents, including semi-truck accidents, expressed as a percentage of the total population of the U.S.A. was 26%. For West Virginia, however, it was 36%.
Research carried out by Robinette Legal Group PLLC has shown the 2020 statistics for fatal work accident statistics for the US and West Virginia. It shows that there were a total of 47 fatal injuries recorded in the state alone. Of these, 89% were men, and 70% of those killed were between the ages of 25 -54.
United States work fatalities statistics compared to West Virginia work fatalities in 2020
Total Fatal Work Injuries in the United States in 2020 = 4764; in West Virginia = 47
Mining, quarrying, and oil and gas extraction: in US = 589, in West Virginia = 6
Toxic Exposure Deaths: In US = 672; in West Virginia = 7
Deaths from Violence in the Workplace: In US = 705; In West Virginia = 8
Manufacturing: in US = 340, in West Virginia = 5
Service, Trade, and Transportation (most from semi-truck accidents): In US = 1778, in West Virginia = 17
Contact with Objects: In US = 716; In West Virginia = 10
Fires and Explosions: In US = 71; In West Virginia = 0
Falls, slips, and trips: In US = 805; In West Virginia = 0
Construction: in US = 1008, in West Virginia = 9
Notes: For 2020, 89% of workers killed in West Virginia were men and 70% of workers killed were between the ages of 25-54.
The percentage of workers killed on the job in 2020 in the United States was approximately .0014% of the total US population
The percentage of workers killed on the job in 2020 in West Virginia was approximately .0026% of the total West Virginia population
Transportation-related incidents including semi-truck accidents accounted for 26% of fatalities in the US and 36% of fatalities in West Virginia.
To improve workplace safety in West Virginia, the Robinette Legal Group, PLLC has assembled an infographic demonstrating 2020 West Virginia fatal work accident statistics as compared to the United States as a whole.
The infographic can also be accessed here: Morgantown Work Injury Lawyer
For more information about the impact of workplace deaths and to learn about a family’s rights after so tragically losing a loved one, Robinette Legal Group, PLLC can be contacted by calling (304) 594-1800 or visiting the website.
Resources:
https://www.bls.gov/iif/oshwc/cfoi/state-rates.htm Fatal Work Accidents in WV
West Virginia 2020 Fatality rates by industry: https://www.bls.gov/iif/oshwc/cfoi/staterate2020.htm
https://www.bls.gov/iif/oshwc/cfoi/tgs/2020/iiffw54.htm
OSHA List of West Virginia fatalities: https://www.osha.gov/fatalities
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