How often these injuries happen
OSHA recorded 20 severe cases involving the sacrum over the past decade. Fractures represent 95 percent of these incidents, often resulting in significant hospitalization and long-term recovery requirements for you.
Damage to the sacrum impacts the foundation of your spine, directly affecting your ability to walk, sit, or perform physical labor. These injuries frequently lead to extended time away from work and may permanently alter your capacity to return to your previous job duties.
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Free Benefits ReviewHow these injuries happen
Most sacral injuries occur when you lose your footing and fall to a lower level. Whether you are descending a ladder, working on a scaffold, or navigating a staircase, these incidents often involve a sudden impact that forces the base of your spine against a hard, constructed surface.
| Cause | Incidents | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Other fall to lower level | 9 |
| 2 | Fall on same level | 5 |
| 3 | Fall to lower level resulting in exposure or contact | 1 |
| 4 | Pedestrian struck by vehicle in road work zone | 1 |
| 5 | Nonroadway noncollision incident | 1 |
| 6 | Struck by propelled, falling, or suspended object— unspecified | 1 |
| 7 | Incidents onboard water vehicle in normal operation | 1 |
| 8 | Struck by falling object | 1 |
Where injuries happen most
Construction accounts for 35 percent of these severe injuries, as the nature of the work requires frequent use of ladders, scaffolds, and multi-level surfaces. You are particularly vulnerable to falls that result in direct trauma to the sacral region in these environments.
Real cases like yours
Many reported incidents involve you falling from heights while carrying tools or operating machinery, leading to direct impact with equipment or flooring. These stories show that even routine tasks, like descending a ladder or walking on a vessel, can lead to life-altering fractures. If any of these scenarios sound like what happened to you, an attorney can help you review the specifics of your incident.
| Year | State | Industry | Incident summary | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | CO | Public Administration | "An employee was putting on a helmet before operating a snowmobile. The helmet caught on the throttle of the snowmobile, which lunged forward. The employee was thrown to the ground and suffered a broken sacrum, as well as other lower body/back injuries." | |
| 2025 | FL | Construction | "An employee was working inside a yacht to troubleshoot electrical lighting when he fell down a small spiral staircase to the floor. He hit his lower back on the wooden floor of the stairs during the fall, sustaining a fractured sacrum. He also bumped the back of his head." | |
| 2025 | PA | Construction | "An employee was testing a sewage pipe that was 9 feet above ground level when the pipe became over-pressured, causing the test ball to be ejected. The ball struck a portable ladder, which then fell and struck the injured employee's hard hat. The employee fell backward into the eye hook of a metal crate that was 3' x 4' x 2.5' high. He was hospitalized with a fractured sacrum." | |
| 2024 | CA | Manufacturing | "An employee was descending a vertical ladder on a vessel with a grinder and combination level in his left hand. The employee's gloved hand lost grip and he fell to the deck, striking a ready service locker mounting bracket. He fell approximately 6-8 feet and sustained a fractured sacrum." | |
| 2024 | CO | Other Services | "An employee was walking down a flight of stairs when she tripped and fell to the ground, breaking her sacrum." | |
| 2024 | NY | Construction | "An employee was descending the hydraulic scaffolding ladder and fell approximately 12 feet onto stacked concrete blocks on the ground. The employee sustained a fractured sacrum. " | |
| 2024 | PA | Construction | "An employee was framing columns while standing 3 feet high on a 6-foot step ladder. The employee lost his balance and fell to the ground landing on the hammer hook on his belt. The employee was hospitalized with a broken sacrum." | |
| 2024 | FL | Health Care | "An employee was walking when they tripped on a floor mat and fell, resulting in a fracture to the left anterior S1 vertebra." | |
| 2024 | TX | Public Administration | "A student employee was rappelling in a gym, training students before a field trip. The rope she was using slipped through the rigging, causing her to fall onto the bleachers below. She was hospitalized with a broken sacrum." | |
| 2023 | TX | Transportation & Warehousing | "An employee attempted to move a new fire access gate located in the parking area when the gate fell onto the employee, resulting in a fractured sacrum that required hospitalization." |
Source: OSHA Severe Injury Reports. Narratives are verbatim from filings; identifying details may have been redacted by OSHA.