Young Workers Hurt More Frequently On the Job

If you sustain a serious work-related injury when you're young, it can affect you for the rest of your life. Young workers injured on the job should take steps to protect their future workers' compensation rights.

Recent studies show that younger people, ages 15-24, are twice as likely to suffer an on-the-job injury that requires medical care than their older counterparts. Workers between the ages of 18 and 19 have the highest non-fatal injury rate of all workers.

This increased risk of injury among young workers may be due to lack of experience, limited training, and insufficient supervision. Young workers are also less likely to speak up about job safety, to ask for help, to recognize safety hazards, or to speak up if they’re unsure about how to operate equipment or machinery. That puts them at much greater risk for suffering on-the-job injuries.

Young workers may also be hesitant to report work-related injuries for fear of losing their job, or for fear of getting in trouble. Young workers are also much less likely to be aware of what their rights are under the Minnesota Workers’ Compensation Act.

How a young worker handles his or her workers’ compensation claim today can have serious consequences for his or her health, career, and well-being in the future. 

All too often I speak with people who sustained significant work-related injuries years ago when they were in their late teens or early twenties. Some of those people didn’t take steps to protect their workers’ compensation rights, and as a result, they are now facing significant difficulties because of that work-related injury they had when they were younger.

A Minnesota workers’ compensation lawyer can help young workers who are injured on the job take steps today to help protect their workers’ compensation rights in the future. Call Meuser & Associate at 877-746-5680 or click here to send us an email to schedule a free, no-obligation consultation with a Minnesota workers’ compensation lawyer.