Why Travelers
Impact by Sector
Overall
Why Travelers
Impact by Sector
Overall
REPORT
IMPACT
INJURY
Travelers
2026
For the 2026 Travelers Injury Impact Report, Travelers analyzed more than 1.2 million workers compensation claims from 2021 through 2025 to identify trends that can help businesses of all sizes and across industries protect their employees and maintain operations.
These insights can inform workplace safety processes and training programs.
2026 Travelers Injury Impact Report
Injury
Contusions
39
Lacerations
36
Strains and sprains
64
Fractures
97
Inflammation
100
Dislocations
139
Injury
Industry
Construction 115 Days, +14 increase from the previous five years.
Transportation 92 Days, +12 increase from the previous five years.
Services 78 Days, +8 increase from the previous five years.
Wholesale 76 Days, +6 increase from the previous five years.
Manufacturing 74 Days, +7 increase from the previous five years.
Construction
114 days
Transportation
94 days
77 days
Services
Wholesale
76 days
Manufacturing
76 days
Industry
The average number of lost workdays by industry and injury type:
80
days
Average number of lost workdays per injury across all industries
Employee Injury Trends
Where
Ankle(s)
5
%
Finger(s)
7
%
Knee(s)
11
%
Lower back
11
%
Shoulder(s)
13
%
Most common body parts injured
Where on their bodies
are they injured?
Where
When
16%
60+ years old
25%
50-59 years old
31%
35-49 years old
19%
25-34 years old
8%
18-24 years old
Industries most affected by first-year injuries
Percentage of injuries by age group in the last five years:
60+
16
%
50-59
24
%
35-49
31
%
25-34
19
%
<25
10
%
Percentage of injuries by age group
When are employees getting injured?
Age is a factor in injuries.
When
What
Motor vehicle accidents
5
%
7
%
Caught-in or caught-between hazards
13
%
Being struck by an object
27
%
Slips, trips and falls
Overexertion
31
%
Most common causes of injury
36% of workplace injuries occurred during a worker’s first year on the job, resulting in almost 7 million missed workdays. First-year injuries made up 34% of all workers compensation claim costs.
The types of injuries that occur on the job are diverse. Knowing the causes of injuries that occur most frequently can help employers design and implement plans to eliminate or minimize them.
What’s causing injuries?
What
Who
37% of workplace injuries occurred during a worker’s first year on the job, resulting in more than 5 million missed workdays.
First-year injuries made up roughly 34% of all workers compensation claim costs.
Who’s getting injured?
Who
Toggle through the sections below to learn more about the nature of on-the-job injuries.
Who, What, When and Where
Overall
Caught-in or caught-between hazards
Caused by being caught in, under or between machines or machinery, objects being handled or collapsing materials.
Caught-in or caught-between hazards
Caught-in or caught-between hazards
Motor vehicle accidents
Caused by collisions or sideswipes with other vehicles, being struck or injured by motor vehicles, vehicle upset or collisions with fixed objects.
Motor vehicle accidents
Motor vehicle accidents
Being struck by an object
Caused by falling or flying objects, by objects being lifted or handled, or by a person.
Being struck by an object
Being struck by an object
Overexertion
Strain or injury caused by lifting, pushing, pulling or twisting.
Overexertion
Overexertion
Slips, trips and falls
Caused by falls from a different level/elevation, falls from ladders or scaffolding, or falls on the same level.
Slips, trips and falls
Slips, trips and falls
Claims with the greatest impact on injured employees and a cost of $250,000 or more.
The Most Common Causes of Large Losses
Impact by Sector
To learn more about the injury trends in specific industries and among small businesses, click on the boxes below.
Of the most common injury causes, slips, trips and falls were the most frequent and had the second-highest cost per claim.
Small Business
86
Average number of days small business employees missed due to workplace injuries
The most common causes of injury
*Motor vehicle accidents had the highest average cost per claim of the most common causes of injury, followed by slips, trips and falls.
Slips, trips and falls
34%
Overexertion
19%
Being struck by an object
13%
Cuts and punctures
8%
Motor vehicle accidents*
5%
The most common causes of injury across all small business employees:
% of claims
The most common causes of injury
The most common causes of large losses
Claims with the greatest impact on injured employees and a cost of $250,000 or more:
Slips, trips and falls
Overexertion
Motor vehicle accidents
Being struck by an object
Caught-in or caught-between hazards
The most common causes of large losses
The injury impact of first-year employees
46% of all small business injuries were to first-year employees.
First-year employees made up 42% of all small business workers compensation claim costs.
The injury impact of first-year employees:
% of claims
Slips, trips and falls
34%
Overexertion
16%
Being struck by an object
14%
Cuts and punctures
10%
Motor vehicle accidents
5%
Caught-in or caught-between hazards
5%
The most common causes of injury to first-year small business employees:
The injury impact of first-year employees
The most common injuries of first-year employees
Strains and sprains
26%
Fractures
21%
Cuts and punctures
10%
Dislocations
9%
Contusions
6%
The most common injuries of first-year small business employees:
% of claims
The most common injuries of first-year employees
The injury impact of aging employees
The injury impact of aging small
business employees:
15% of injured employees are aged 60+
Injured employees aged 60+ miss an average of 22 additional days compared with the small business industry average.
The injury impact of aging employees
Of the most common injury causes, slips, trips and falls were the most frequent and had the second-highest cost per claim.
SMALL BUSINESS
Return to industries
Among wholesale employees, lower back injuries were the most common. However, shoulder injuries were a close second and the costliest of the most common injuries.
Wholesale
76
Average number of days wholesale employees missed due to workplace injuries
The most common causes of injury
*Motor vehicle accidents had the highest average cost per claim of the most common causes of injury.
% of claims
Overexertion
36%
Slips, trips and falls
23%
Being struck by an object
12%
Caught-in or caught-between hazards
8%
Motor vehicle accidents*
6%
The most common causes of injury across all wholesale employees:
The most common causes of injury
The most common causes of large losses
Claims with the greatest impact on injured employees and a cost of $250,000 or more:
Slips, trips and falls
Overexertion
Being struck by an object
Motor vehicle accidents
Caught-in or caught-between hazards
The most common causes of large losses
The most common injuries
Dislocations were the costliest of the most common injuries.
Shoulder injuries were the costliest of the most common body parts affected.
% of claims
Strains and sprains
38%
Fractures
17%
Dislocations
12%
Contusions
7%
Inflammation
4%
The most common injuries across all wholesale employees:
The most common injuries
The injury impact of first-year employees
38% of all wholesale injuries were to
first-year employees.
Overexertion
34%
Slips, trips and falls
21%
Being struck by an object
14%
Caught-in or caught-between hazards
10%
Motor vehicle accidents
6%
The most common causes of injury to first-year wholesale employees:
% of claims
The injury impact of first-year employees
The injury impact of aging employees
Injured employees aged 60+ miss an average of 19 additional days compared to the wholesale industry average.
14% of injured employees
are aged 60+
The injury impact of aging wholesale employees:
The injury impact of aging employees
Among wholesale employees, lower back injuries were the most common. However, shoulder injuries were a close second and the costliest of the most common injuries.
WHOLESALE
Return to industries
Of the most common injuries, shoulder injuries were the most frequent and the most expensive.
Manufacturing
76
Average number of days manufacturing employees missed due to workplace injuries
The most common causes of injury
*Slips, trips and falls had the highest average cost per claim of the most common causes of injury.
Overexertion
36%
Slips, trips and falls
20%
Being struck by an object
11%
Caught-in or caught-between hazards
10%
Cuts or punctures
5%
The most common causes of injury across all manufacturing employees:
% of claims
The most common causes of injury
The most common causes of large losses
Claims with the greatest impact on injured employees and a cost of $250,000 or more:
Overexertion
Slips, trips and falls
Caught-in or caught-between hazards
Being struck by an object
Motor vehicle accidents
The most common causes of large losses
The most common injuries
Dislocations were the costliest of the most common injuries.
Shoulder injuries were the costliest of the most common body parts affected.
Strains and sprains
29%
Fractures
18%
Dislocations
11%
Inflammation
6%
Contusions
6%
% of claims
The most common injuries across all manufacturing employees:
The most common injuries
The injury impact of first-year employees
31% of all manufacturing injuries were to first-year employees.
Overexertion
31%
Slips, trips and falls
18%
Being struck by an object
15%
Caught-in or caught-between hazards
13%
Cuts or punctures
6%
The most common causes of injury to first-year manufacturing employees:
% of claims
The injury impact of first-year employees
The injury impact of aging employees
Injured employees aged 60+ miss an average of 16 additional days compared with the manufacturing industry average.
18% of injured employees
are aged 60+
The injury impact of aging
manufacturing employees:
The injury impact of aging employees
Of the most common injuries, shoulder injuries were the most frequent and the most expensive.
MANUFACTURING
Return to industries
Construction workers compensation claims were the most expensive – almost double the all-industries average.
Construction
114
Average number of days construction workers missed due to workplace injuries
The most common causes of large losses
Claims with the greatest impact on injured employees and a cost of $250,000 or more:
Slips, trips and falls
Being struck by an object
Overexertion
Motor vehicle accidents
Caught-in or caught-between hazards
The most common causes of large losses
The most severe injuries in construction
The most severe injuries were:
Spinal cord injury
Amputation or severe crush injury
Traumatic brain injury
Severe burns
Degloving injury
Multiple fractures
The most severe injuries in construction
The injury impact of first-year employees
Slips, trips and falls
47%
Being struck by an object
13%
Overexertion
11%
Motor vehicle accidents
10%
Caught-in or caught-between hazards
6%
Cuts and punctures
3%
% of incurred costs within grouping
The most common causes of injury to first-year construction employees:
44% of all construction injuries were to first-year employees.
First-year injuries drove 47% of all construction workers compensation claim costs.
The injury impact of first-year employees:
The injury impact of first-year employees
The injury impact of aging workers
Injured workers ages 60+ miss an average of 10 additional days compared with the construction industry average.
10% of injured workers are ages 60+
The injury impact of aging construction workers:
The injury impact of aging workers
Construction workers compensation claims were the most expensive – almost double the all-industries average.
construction
Return to industries
Why Travelers
When an employee sustains an injury, getting them back to work as soon as medically appropriate is essential to keeping a business running smoothly. By combining leading technology, claim resolution excellence and a personal connection, Travelers ensures that our business customers and their injured employees experience the best our professionals have to offer with the utmost of care. Injured employees can receive treatment from Travelers Preferred℠ providers – medical professionals in our nationwide network with proven better outcomes.
Travelers nurses and Claim professionals take a biopsychosocial approach to supporting those who are injured on the job, identifying and addressing several factors that may impact a recovery process. This methodology empowers injured employees and may help shorten disability duration, lower claim costs and increase satisfaction throughout the process. With Travelers’ industry-leading capabilities and initiatives, approximately 70% of injured employees return to work within 30 days.
From working with thousands of businesses throughout the United States, Travelers knows that safe and engaged employees can help to drive strong and productive businesses. To assist customers in strengthening their culture of safety throughout the employment life cycle, Travelers offers resources focused on three key areas: protecting new hires, planning to manage injuries and fostering employee support and engagement.
All data is Travelers indemnity claims data for accident years 2021-2025, excluding COVID-19 claims and zero-dollar claims evaluated as of 12/31/25. Losses are unlimited and undeveloped.
For more information, visit the Travelers Workers Compensation Hub.
31%
8/8
Manufacturing
of claims
36%
7/8
Finance, Insurance, Real Estate
of claims
36%
6/8
Transportation
of claims
38%
5/8
Wholesale
of claims
38%
4/8
Services
of claims
39%
3/8
Retail
of claims
44%
2/8
Construction
of claims
51%
1/8
Restaurants
of claims
Industries most affected by first-year injuries
The injury impact of first-year employees
Shoulder injuries were the most common in most industries. Wholesale was an exception, where the lower back was the most frequently injured body part.