Most injured U.S. workers say they struggle to afford food, rent

“Legally, your employer cannot fire you for filing a claim,” he said. “If they do fire you, you have legal protections. You may be able to reclaim lost wages or potentially even get your job back.”

Other key takeaways…

• Just over one in 10 Americans (12%) say they've applied for workers' compensation, and most were successful. Among applicants, 72% were approved, 11% were denied, and 10% are still waiting on a decision. Meanwhile, 3% withdrew their claim, and 3% weren't sure about the outcome.
• Seventeen percent report significant struggles to afford essentials like rent, food, and bills.
• Fifty-four percent of workers describe their experience with the workers' compensation system as positive, while 27% say their experience was negative.
• Seventy-nine percent incorrectly believed that workers' comp would require an employer to fix unsafe conditions if they led to an injury.

“You shouldn't need a legal degree just to claim the benefits you’re entitled to after an injury, but that’s what it feels like for a lot of Americans,” Silva said. “Even people who go through the system ‘the right way’ often get buried in paperwork, struggle to get medical treatment covered, and wait weeks or months for their checks. That’s not a safety net, it’s a stress test.”

See also:

• Preventing workers’ comp claims with AI, not just managing them
• Farmers data breach impacts more than 1 million
• How insurers can deploy agentic AI with confidence