How often these injuries happen
OSHA recorded 607 severe elbow injuries over the last decade, with fractures representing 64% of these incidents. These injuries often involve significant trauma to the joint, frequently requiring surgery and extended recovery periods.
Your elbow is essential for nearly every physical task, from lifting and gripping to operating machinery. A severe injury to this joint can permanently limit your range of motion, potentially preventing you from returning to your previous role or performing daily activities.
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Free Benefits ReviewHow these injuries happen
Falls are the primary driver of your elbow injuries, with other falls to lower levels and falls on the same level each accounting for 37% of reported cases. Many of these incidents involve you slipping on constructed surfaces or losing your footing on ladders, leading to direct impact on your elbow joint.
| Cause | Incidents | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Other fall to lower level | 222 |
| 2 | Fall on same level | 222 |
| 3 | Struck against stationary object | 19 |
| 4 | Caught, entangled in running powered equipment— normal operation | 17 |
| 5 | Fall to lower level from collapsing structure or equipment | 16 |
| 6 | Struck by propelled object or substance | 12 |
| 7 | Nonroadway collision with object other than vehicle | 9 |
| 8 | Struck by suspended or swinging object | 7 |
Where injuries happen most
Manufacturing accounts for 22% of all severe elbow injuries, as you frequently interact with complex machinery and elevated work platforms in this sector. The physical nature of your work, combined with high-traffic areas, creates a constant risk of slips, trips, and mechanical entanglement that can result in severe joint trauma.
Real cases like yours
Many reported incidents involve you falling from heights or being struck by heavy objects while performing routine tasks. These stories often reveal a pattern of unsafe work environments, such as poorly secured ladders or hazardous floor conditions, that lead to life-altering joint damage. 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 | FL | Transportation & Warehousing | "An employee was preparing the aft cargo door of an aircraft for painting, while standing on a ladder. The employee was using a grinder and wearing a half-mask respirator when he fell to the hangar floor. The employee sustained a dislocated elbow requiring surgery." | |
| 2025 | TX | Retail Trade | "An employee tripped over a display of stacked charcoal while walking in the store and fell to the floor sustaining a broken elbow." | |
| 2025 | MA | Professional Services | "An employee had just completed a repair at a customer's store and was leaving via the main entrance. A suspected shoplifter ran by (while being chased by the police) and shoved the employee into a shelving unit. The employee suffered a broken elbow and a chin laceration and was hospitalized, requiring surgery." | |
| 2025 | GA | Construction | "A crane cable was pulled out of plumb while upending a pre-assembled steel formwork. As the formwork started to leave the ground it self-corrected and swung toward the crane. After reaching plumb, the formwork continued toward the crane in an pendulum motion. The injured employee was assisting with the positioning and was caught between the formwork and a section of the crane. The employee's right elbow was injured." | |
| 2025 | TX | Wholesale Trade | "An employee had just finished a delivery of food products at a customer location. While walking down the side ramp of a trailer, the employee slipped and fell, sustaining a fractured right elbow." | |
| 2025 | ND | Manufacturing | "An employee was loading a motor onto a trailer when he struck his left elbow against the radiator. His elbow was lacerated and became infected, resulting in hospitalization." | |
| 2025 | MA | Education | "An employee was working on rooftop HVAC equipment and bumped their elbow on the equipment resulting in a puncture wound. The employee was hospitalized for cellulitis and septic bursitis." | |
| 2025 | FL | Manufacturing | "An employee was exiting an ambulance when his foot slipped, causing him to hit either the portable aluminum step or the concrete floor. He suffered a broken left elbow." | |
| 2025 | TX | Construction | "An employee was working from a mobile scaffold when the walk board slipped out of place. The employee fell 10 feet and sustained a fractured right elbow." | |
| 2025 | CO | Construction | "A subcontractor employee was on an aluminum extension ladder painting in the auditorium on a new carpet with a layer of protective film. The ladder slipped out and he fell approximately 10 feet. The employee struck his chin and chest on the ladder during the fall and sustained a laceration to the chin that required stitches, a bruise on the chest, and a swollen elbow. The employee was hospitalized for elbow surgery." |
Source: OSHA Severe Injury Reports. Narratives are verbatim from filings; identifying details may have been redacted by OSHA.