This August, the Bureau of Labor Statistics issued a report titled, “Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries Summary, 2008.” The Bureau reported that a total of 5,071 fatal work injuries were recorded in the United States in 2008, down from a total of 5,657 fatal work injuries reported for 2007. Some other key finding included:
- Fatal workplace falls, which had risen to a series high in 2007, also declined by 20 percent in 2008. Workplace suicides were up 28 percent to a series high of 251 cases in 2008, but workplace homicides declined 18 percent in 2008.
- Fatal occupational injuries involving Hispanic or Latino workers in 2008 were 17 percent lower than in 2007. Fatalities among non-Hispanic Black or African American workers were down 16 percent.
- The number of fatal workplace injuries in farming, fishing, and forestry occupations rose 6 percent in 2008 after declining in 2007. Transportation incidents, which accounted for approximately two-fifths of all the workplace fatalities in 2008, fell 13 percent from the previous series low of 2,351 cases reported in 2007.
After a fatal injury, typically the deceased worker leaves behind family and loves ones. The deceased worker’s family is entitled to workers’ compensation benefits in the form of dependency benefits and burial expenses.









