If you’re hurt on the job or just lived through a car accident, there’s a chance you might get diagnosed with one of the most common injuries out there: back pain. Back pain can run the spectrum from moderate to severe and might impede your ability to live a normal life.
Whether it’s a workers’ compensation accident or a vehicle injury, back pain and associated injuries can come with a devastating cost. You may be unable to return to work for a long period of time and may suffer significant financial damages as a result. Back injuries are one of the most common workplace injuries and cost the United States around $22 billion every year.
Among the general population, nearly 80% of people suffer a severe episode of lower back pain at least once across their lifetime. Back pain is also the leading contributor to sick days, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that back injuries cost employers $1,685 for each employee every single year. This has significant health costs and productivity loss costs.
More than half of the workers who end up missing time at work because of low back pain spend the majority of their day sitting. In fact, those who work in more active occupations such as construction, are more likely to be struck by items or hit by a vehicle than they are to suffer a back injury.
There are also disability insurance costs associated with lower back pain and back pain is the leading cause of long term disability insurance claims. Nearly 20% of all workers’ compensation claims are associated with back pain. If you recently suffered an injury on the job in San Francisco and are dealing with back pain as a result, consult with an experienced and qualified lawyer to determine your best path forward.