U.S. workers compensation insurance carrier The Travelers Companies released its 2025 Injury Impact Report — an analysis of more than 2.6 million workers compensation claims that the company received between 2015 and 2024.

The report identifies trends in compensation claims to keep businesses across all industries informed. According to the company, this promotes awareness and can assist employers in creating training programs that keep employees safe and businesses running smoothly.

In the Store: NAW’s 2024 Executive Compensation Study 

Travelers analyzed trends in specific industries — construction, wholesale and manufacturing — and among small businesses. The most common cause of large losses among all industries, according to the company, were:

• Slips, trips and falls caused by falls from heights, ladders or scaffolding
• Overexertion due to lifting, twisting, pushing or pulling
• Being struck by an object that was falling or flying, a motor vehicle or objects that are lifted or handled
• Motor vehicle accident caused by a collision or sideswipe with another vehicle or overturned vehicles or collisions with a stagnant object
• Caught-in or caught-between hazards caused by being caught under, in or between machines, objects being handled or collapsing materials

Overall, the research found that the average number of lost workdays across all industries increased by more than seven days since the onset of the pandemic when compared to the prior five years, to an average of 80 workdays.

Wholesale Injury Stats

More specifically, according to the company’s findings, the wholesale industry had an average of 76 days employees missed per workplace injury during 2020-2024— up six from the previous five years. The most common causes of injury across employees (by % of claims) include:

• Overexertion – 37%
• Slips, trips and falls – 23%
• Being struck by an object – 12%
• Caught-in or caught-between hazards – 8%
• Motor vehicle accident – 5%

Overexertion, slips, trips and falls, being struc by an object and motor vehicle accidents, being struck by an object and caught-in or caught-in between hazards accidents were the top drivers of severe claims, with the greatest impact on injured employees and a cost of $250,000 or more.

The report found that 37% of all wholesale injuries involved first-year employees, with overexersion cited as the most common cause in 34% of claims during 2020-2024.

The most common causes of injury to first-year employees (by % of claims) include:

• Overexertion – 34%
• Slips, trips and falls – 22%
• Being struck by an object – 14%
• Caught-in or caught-between hazards – 10%
• Motor vehicle accidents – 6%

On the flipside, 13% of wholesale injuries were to employees aged 60+ — up 10% from the previous five years. Injured employees aged 60+ missed an average of 20 additional days compared to the wholesale industry average, and up two days than in the previous five years.

MDM’s 1Q25 MarketPulse Report (store link) 

Motor vehicle accidents had the highest average cost per claim of the most common injury in wholesale trade, according to the report.

The report analyzed the common cause of injury across employees in the wholesale industry, and the most common injuries within the field, which include (by % of claim):

• Strains and sprains – 38%
• Fractures – 17%
• Dislocations – 12%
• Contusions – 7%
• Inflammation – 4%

Overexertion was cited as the most common cause of injury in wholesale trade from 2020-2024, with lower back injuries as the most frequent body part injured. Shoulder injuries were a close second and the costliest of the most common injuries. Dislocations were the costliest of the most common injuries, while shoulder injuries were the costliest of the most common body parts affected.

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To read the full Travelers 2025 Injury Report, click here.

In November 2024, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics released its 2023 Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses on Nov. 8, showing that workplace injuries and illnesses fell to their lowest level since 2003.