As Massachusetts workers grow older, they may find that completing the same task requires more physical effort than before or that they are unable to react as quickly as they were able to previously. In fact, one survey found that 36 percent of older Americans surveyed claimed that it was more difficult now to complete the physical requirements of their job than it was before. This is a part of aging-one’s vision grows weaker, hearing gets impaired and agility and cognitive abilities also get affected. This puts elderly Americans at a higher risk of getting injured on the job.
Alarming statistics show just how dangerous remaining in the workforce is for working Americans aged 55 and older. Their rate of fatal accidents was much higher than the average population-while the fatality rate decreased over all ages by around 22 percent between 2006 and 2015, it increased for elderly Americans by at least 50 percent.
When analyzing the fatalities caused in workplace accidents for elderly Americans between 2011 and 2015, it was revealed that fall related fatalities increased by 20 percent and transportation accidents increased by 15 percent. These increased could be explained by the physical changes that come with aging-balance issues, vision and hearing deterioration, chronic medical problems and reduced response time can all contribute to the increase in workplace injury accident.
Regardless of their age, workplace accident victims have the right to file a workers’ compensation claim to recover lost wages and medical expenses. Though it may seem daunting to file a claim against one’s employers, without raising awareness about the unsafe working conditions, it is likely more and more workers get injured in accidents.