According to 2010 census numbers, there are 82,752 people living in Howard County, IN. It’s a good place to live, and a good place to work and raise a family. When injuries occur at your workplace, its common to file a worker’s compensation to cover medical bills and living expenses as you recover from your injury.
We’ve spent a lot of time on this blog considering types of accidents that may occur. We want to look at some statistics related to Howard County employment, work-related injuries throughout the state, and worker’s compensation claims. These numbers taken together can help you understand the potential hazards you face at work and why having a lawyer on your side is crucial.
Employment Statistics in Howard County, Indiana
According to numbers from the Indiana Business Research Center at Indiana University’s Kelley School of Business, there are 36,396 people currently employed in Howard County’s labor force.
The majority of the Howard County work force are employed in manufacturing. That’s 12,192 people in that industry, or roughly 46.3 percent of the county’s labor force. Construction makes up about 1,712 members of the county’ work force, or roughly 3.4 percent. Transportation and warehousing, which has some crossover with these other industries, comprises 1,012 members of the work force, or 1.9 percent.
Work Injury Statistics
Let’s take the Howard County numbers and put them into some context with the rest of the state.
According to numbers compiled by the Indiana Department of Labor and the Bureau of Labor Statistics, in 2016 roughly 84,300 Hoosiers experienced an OSHA-recordable work-related injury or illness. These overall numbers broke down into 3.5 injuries or illnesses per every 100 full-time workers.
A Downward Trend in Work-Related Injuries
Compared to statistics for work-related injuries and illness in 2015, there was a 5 percent decrease, which speaks to greater worker safety.
This is part of a continual downward trend in work-related injuries since 1992. The Indiana Department of Labor notes a 69 percent reduction in overall injury rates during this 22-year period of time.
At-Risk Occupations
While there has been a downward trend in injury rates over time, certain occupations remain higher risk.
In manufacturing, for instance, the estimated injury rate is 4.1, which is higher than the average for all occupations. Given that the majority of the Howard County work force is employed in manufacturing, the potential for injury must be taken into account. As for construction, the injury rate was lower than the state average, at 2.8; in transportation and warehousing, the number was 4.7.
Indiana Worker’s Compensation Statistics
According to 2013 numbers, there were a total of 54,311 injuries among Indiana workers, as well as 89 fatalities. These injuries resulted in 10,712 instances of temporary total disability (TTD) and 6,052 instances of permanent partial impairment (PPI). Of the worker’s compensation claims filed in 2013, 3,714 were disputed.
Putting these Numbers Together
In Howard County, roughly half of the total labor force is employed in manufacturing, construction, or transportation/warehousing. If we take the varying injury rates for each industry and apply them to the total numbers of employment, the chance for injury among the Howard County labor force is not insignificant. The numbers on Indiana injury claims bear these matters out.
Knowing the occupational risks that many employed in this area face, this may help illuminate the importance of good legal counsel from our work injury attorneys.
Learn More About Your Legal Options
For more information about your legal options following an accident at your job, be sure to contact the work injury lawyers of Golitko & Daly. We are here to assist with worker’s compensation claims and other matters related to your legal needs.