Headaches Common at Colonial Life

Claims News Service, Nov. 17, 1:51 p.m. EST — Minor head injuries are the top reason claims are filed on Colonial Life & Accident Insurance Company accident policies, according to the company. Of the nearly 74,000 accident claims Colonial received in 2004, more than 8,300 were for a superficial head injury such as a cut, bump, or scrape.

The top 10 injuries resulting in an accident claim include:

Superficial head injury 11.3%

Ankle sprain or strain 3.6%

Neck sprain or strain 3.3%

General trauma 3.0%

Open wound 2.6%

General joint pain 2.4%

Finger wound 2.4%

Back sprain or strain 2.2%

Broken forearm 2.1%

Lower back pain 2.0%

Most accident victims who file a claim hurt themselves at home or at play, not while driving or riding in a car, Colonial reports. “Almost all the top 10 diagnoses are the result of an injury that occurred off the job and do not involve a motor vehicle accident,” says Mike Glover, the company's vice president of claims.

More information is available at www.coloniallife.com.