Estimating the costs of injury to U.S. employers

Abstract

Injuries both on the job and off cost employers about $200 billion annually, or $1,700 per employee. Injuries to workers and their families generate an estimated 29% of employers' health-related fringe-benefit costs, including 19% of health-care costs and 46% of disability costs. Occupational injuries cost employers around $155 billion, three-fourths of the total, and over $1,400 per injury. Non-work injuries cause one-fourth of employer injury costs and 42% of injury fringe-benefit costs. Annually they cost employers $45 billion, or $380 per employee. Highway crashes cost employers $56 billion per year—$38 billion from occupational crash injuries, $15 billion from off-the-job crash injuries to employees and their families, and over $3 billion in property damage and repair costs. Highway crash injuries account for nearly one-fourth of occupational injury costs to employers. Occupational crashes cost employers $80,000 per million vehicle-miles of travel, or $23,000 per crash.