Cost, Severity and Prevalence of Agricultural-Related Injury Workers' Compensation Claims in Farming Operations from 14 US States

Navneet Kaur Baidwan; Marizen R. Ramirez; Fred Gerr; Daniel Boonstra; Joseph E. Cavanaugh; Carri Casteel

doi:10.3390/ijerph18084309

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Cost, Severity and Prevalence of Agricultural-Related Injury Workers' Compensation Claims in Farming Operations from 14 US States

Journal article

Open access

Peer reviewed

Cost, Severity and Prevalence of Agricultural-Related Injury Workers' Compensation Claims in Farming Operations from 14 US States

Navneet Kaur Baidwan, Marizen R. Ramirez, Fred Gerr, Daniel Boonstra, Joseph E. Cavanaugh and Carri Casteel

International journal of environmental research and public health, Vol.18(8), p.4309

04/01/2021

DOI: 10.3390/ijerph18084309

PMCID: PMC8072536

PMID: 33921635

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Abstract

(1) Background: There is no national surveillance of agricultural injuries, despite agricultural occupations being among the most hazardous in the U.S. This effort uses workers' compensation (WC) data to estimate the burden of agricultural injuries and the likelihood of experiencing an injury by body part involved, cause, and nature in farming operations. (2) Methods: WC data from 2010 to 2016 provided by a large insurance company covering small to medium-sized farm operations from 14 U.S. states was used. We investigated the associations between injury characteristics and WC costs and the risk of having a more severe versus a less severe claim. The proportion of costs attributable to specific claim types was calculated. (3) Results: Of a total 1000 claims, 67% were medical only. The total cost incurred by WC payable claims (n = 866) was USD 21.5 million. Of this, 96% was attributable to more severe claims resulting in disabilities or death. The most common body part injured was the distal upper extremity. Falling or flying objects and collisions were the most expensive and common causes of injury. (4) Conclusions: Characterizing the cost and severity of agricultural injury by key injury characteristics may be useful when prioritizing prevention efforts in partnership with insurance companies and agricultural operations.

Environmental Sciences

Environmental Sciences & Ecology

Life Sciences & Biomedicine

Public, Environmental & Occupational Health

Science & Technology

Details

Title: Subtitle: Cost, Severity and Prevalence of Agricultural-Related Injury Workers' Compensation Claims in Farming Operations from 14 US States
Creators: Navneet Kaur Baidwan - University of Alabama at Birmingham
Marizen R. Ramirez - University of Minnesota
Fred Gerr - University of Iowa
Daniel Boonstra - University of Iowa
Joseph E. Cavanaugh - University of Iowa
Carri Casteel - University of Iowa
Resource Type: Journal article
Publication Details: International journal of environmental research and public health, Vol.18(8), p.4309
DOI: 10.3390/ijerph18084309
PMID: 33921635
PMCID: PMC8072536
NLM abbreviation: Int J Environ Res Public Health
ISSN: 1661-7827
eISSN: 1660-4601
Publisher: Mdpi
Number of pages: 12
Grant note: National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; United States Department of Health & Human Services; Centers for Disease Control & Prevention - USA; National Institute for Occupational Safety & Health (NIOSH) U54 OH007548 / Great Plains Center for Agricultural Health (GPCAH)
Language: English
Date published: 04/01/2021
Academic Unit: Statistics and Actuarial Science; Occupational and Environmental Health; Epidemiology; Biostatistics; Injury Prevention Research Center
Record Identifier: 9984282465902771

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