Sustaining a serious injury by falling from a ladder on a construction site is an unfortunately easy thing to happen. According to Construction Executive, a worker only has to fall from a height of 7.5 feet to end up in the hospital. Just one ladder fall can add up to serious expenses.
A single construction injury produces an average cost of $27,000. Ladder injuries can become this expensive because they produce a variety of costs in addition to losses of income.
Medical costs
Statistics from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that greater than 80% of construction worker visits to the emergency room due to a fall had resulted from a ladder injury. In addition, 14% of ladder fall patients had to stay in the hospital following the emergency room visit.
The need for medical treatment for a ladder fall injury can add up to hefty medical bills. Insured workers have an average ER copay of $250. Uninsured workers or workers with high deductibles, however, could pay thousands of dollars for a hospital visit.
Lost wages and productivity
Getting hurt on the job will likely involve recovery time. Some workers end up on the mend for weeks. Not being able to work means you cannot earn a living until your health improves, so you have lost some wages as a result of your injury.
Even if you do get back to work, there is no guarantee you will return to full productivity. According to one study in the Construction Executive article, falling from a ladder caused injury victims to earn 7% less on average per year.
Workers’ compensation costs
Many workers who suffer ladder injuries use workers’ compensation to pay for their medical expenses. A study of the construction industry for the year 2019 found that falls that cause serious injuries resulted in $2.5 billion in workers’ compensation costs.
Given the expenses involved with ladder injuries, construction companies should undertake proper safety precautions, including the use of low-level lifts in place of ladders, to spare workers the risk of a ladder fall injury.
