As the workforce across the country ages, there is a greater likelihood that these older employees will suffer an injury while on the job. In fact, as many as 1 in 4 Americans say that they won’t be able to retire, mainly citing financial worries as their reason. However, it is far more common for older workers to experience on-the-job or work-related injuries, leading to the stressful process of seeing workers’ compensation benefits.
Current Projections
Perhaps surprisingly, the most rapidly growing segment of the nation’s workforce is women between the ages of 65 and 84. Projections estimate that there will be as many as 6.3 million working women aged 65 and up, with 800,000 in California alone. According to the Commission of Health and Safety and Workers’ Compensation, while men’s risk of suffering a workplace injury decreases with age, women experience an increased risk of sustaining a cumulative trauma work injury over time. In particular, women over the age of 55 have a 50 percent higher rate of injury.
When Workplace Injuries Happen
Suffering a workplace injury can complicate your life in a number of ways. Of course, you will first need to focus on seeking treatment for your injury or condition so that you can be on the road to recovery as soon as possible. Next, you will likely be concerned about how this injury will impact your earnings, so you’ll look into the process of filing for workers’ compensation benefits. While these benefits, once obtained, can certainly help you get back on your feet, the process can take quite a bit of time. A 2018 report revealed that California’s workers’ compensation system was exceptionally slow. Injured workers in California had to wait longer than their injured counterparts in seventeen other states to receive treatment.
Planning for the Future
As the California workforce ages, the workers’ compensation system needs to be prepared to deal more efficiently and effectively with injured workers. If you have suffered a work-related injury, reach out to a dedicated workers’ compensation lawyer at Accident Recovery Legal Center to begin the claims process. Since 1984, our firm has been helping workers in the San Jose and Salinas area receive their hard-earned workers’ compensation benefits. Schedule your free initial consultation with us today by calling 1-888-931-WORK (9675).