Everyone expects that their loved ones will come home after their shift is over, but that didn’t happen for 80 Minnesota families last year.
According to data from the annual Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries, there were 80 fatal workplace injuries in Minnesota in 2021, up from 67 in 2020. That represents a nearly 20 percent increase in on-the-job fatalities compared to the previous year. On-the-job fatalities also increased on a national scale, as there were 5,190 fatal work injuries in America in 2021, up from 4,764 in 2020.
Here’s a closer look at some of the fatal work injury data from the 80 reported deaths in Minnesota:
- The construction and extraction occupations had the highest number of fatalities at 17, followed by heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers with 16.
- Transportation-related incidents accounted for 33 fatalities across all industries, up from 28 in 2020.
- Falls, slips and trips were the second most frequent fatal work-related injury, with 19 such injuries, up from 15 in 2020.
- Men were far more likely to die on the job than women in Minnesota. Men accounted for 73 of the 80 fatal work injuries in Minnesota in 2021.
- Workers over the age of 55 accounted for 32 of the 80 fatalities.
If you have a loved one that suffered a fatal workplace injury, know that you have legal options. As we’ve talked about on the blog in the past, you are entitled to collect wrongful death benefits. Don’t wait to start this claim process. Not only do you have deadlines to meet when filing a wrongful death lawsuit, but witness memory of the event can fade and evidence can be harder to collect weeks, months or years down the road. We completely understand that now is an extremely emotional time, but don’t make it harder on yourself to collect the compensation your family deserves in the wake of the unimaginable.
Instead, connect with a law firm with an impeccable track record of helping workers and families get the justice they deserve after an injury or death in the workplace. We can handle all aspects of developing and pursuing a case while you focus on the health of your family. We won’t stop until we get you every penny you deserve.
Hopefully you’ll never need to file a wrongful death lawsuit in Minnesota, but if that day ever arrives, know that you have an ally in your corner with the team at Hey Workers. For more information about wrongful death lawsuits or a more standard injury claim, give our team a call today at (844) 439-9675.
