NCCI Releases Report on Workplace Motor Vehicle Accidents

Lakewood, Colorado Personal Injury Lawyer Serving Denver, Boulder, and Nearby Areas

Posted: December 22, 2017

The National Council on Compensation Insurance has added more data to its 2006 study of workplace injuries. According to the study, the workers’ compensation claims that come from motor vehicle accidents are more severe than many other types of claims. Traffic accidents are prevalent and pervasive throughout many different industries, not being limited to only the world of trucking as some may expect.

Some of the reasons that workers in Colorado could be involved in a motor vehicle accident while on the job include impairment, distraction and speeding-three factors that are very similar to the reasons that people not at work can get into an accident. The study added a few years of information to the NCCI release published in 2006, allowing the group to discuss the differences seen during the recession.

A declining trend seen in the study released in 2006 was also part of the newly published release. According to the newest findings, risks for workers vary by the type of vehicle. Passenger vehicles see more nonfatal injuries while fatalities seen in passenger vehicles and trucks are similar. On the note of nonfatal workplace injuries, motor vehicle accidents account for a smaller fraction of this type of injury than they did in 2006.

According to researchers, the recession had a notable effect on the rate of decline in motor vehicle accidents that resulted in workplace injuries. Reportedly, this larger decline was most noticeable in accidents involving large trucks. This is likely due to the financial aspects of the recession, forcing some companies to cut back on costs and products. This would lead to lower transportation needs resulting in fewer trucks on the road.

The study noted that motor vehicle accidents are more likely to cause multiple-claim situations, as compared to other workplace injuries. One of the highest reported types of injuries in such claims were those that occurred to the neck, such as whiplash.

Source: Insurance Journal, “Traffic Accidents Lead Cause of High-Severity Workers’ Comp Injuries: Study,” Dec. 18, 2012