How often these injuries happen
OSHA recorded 1,625 severe knee cases between 2015 and 2025. Fractures are the most common nature of injury, accounting for 44% of all reported incidents.
Knee injuries frequently result in long-term mobility issues that impact your ability to perform physical tasks. When your livelihood depends on your ability to stand, walk, or climb, a severe knee injury can lead to significant lost wages and permanent functional impairment.
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Free Benefits ReviewHow these injuries happen
Falls on the same level are the leading cause of knee injuries, responsible for 49% of all reported severe cases. These incidents often occur on constructed surfaces like concrete floors or stairs when your employer fails to address slip hazards, uneven walking paths, or debris that should have been cleared.
| Cause | Incidents | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Fall on same level | 766 |
| 2 | Other fall to lower level | 336 |
| 3 | Struck by falling object | 71 |
| 4 | Struck by propelled object or substance | 64 |
| 5 | Injured by object handled by person | 33 |
| 6 | Slip, trip, stumble on same level— without fall | 24 |
| 7 | Pedestrian struck by vehicle in nonroadway area | 24 |
| 8 | Nonroadway collision with object other than vehicle | 24 |
Where injuries happen most
Manufacturing accounts for 18% of severe knee injuries, reflecting the high-risk nature of industrial floor surfaces and heavy machinery operation. You also face significant risks in health care and retail trade, as these environments often involve constant movement across surfaces that may become slick or cluttered.
Real cases like yours
Many reported incidents involve you performing routine tasks and suffering sudden, severe injuries after slipping on wet surfaces, mud, or loose debris. These reports highlight how quickly a simple trip can lead to a hospitalization and surgery. If any of these scenarios sound like what happened to you, an attorney can help you evaluate your options for medical coverage and lost wages.
| Year | State | Industry | Incident summary | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | CO | Administrative Services | "An employee was picking up litter on the perimeter of the complex. He was outside the facility grounds by the railroad tracks when he tripped in the rocks and fell, striking his head and knees. The employee sustained a fractured knee." | |
| 2025 | KS | Health Care | "An employee entered a resident's room at 8:13 p.m., and was passing medication to the patient when they slipped and fell to the floor. The employee was hospitalized with a knee injury that required surgery." | |
| 2025 | GA | Health Care | "An employee was returning a cleaned tea dispenser to the kitchen when they slipped on tea and fell on the floor. The employee sustained injury to their right knee." | |
| 2025 | IL | Health Care | "An employee was walking out of work carrying a crockpot in the rain. New mulch/mud had washed onto the sidewalk. The employee slipped on the mulch/mud and fell sustaining a right knee fracture requiring hospitalization." | |
| 2025 | SD | Health Care | "An employee was carrying a laundry basket when they tripped and fell on the floor. The employee was hospitalized with a fractured knee." | |
| 2025 | FL | Real Estate | "An employee was walking when they tripped over the handle of a jack that was being used to raise up a vehicle. The employee fell forward onto the concrete floor and impacted his right knee. The employee sustained a fractured knee cap." | |
| 2025 | PA | Retail Trade | "An employee was operating a rolling container carrier (RTC) vehicle in pedestrian mode. When he operated the hand lever to turn it, the RTC pinned his left leg against the pick location. The employee suffered a laceration on his left knee and was hospitalized." | |
| 2025 | TX | Transportation & Warehousing | "An employee was assisting a customer with attaching a trailer to their vehicle using a trailer mover. The trailer slipped from the trailer mover. As a result, the trailer mover struck the employee s left knee. The employee was hospitalized with a fractured left kneecap that required surgery." | |
| 2025 | FL | Construction | "An employee was drywalling a ceiling. His stilts tripped over the air hose from a compressor and he fell to the concrete floor, suffering a broken left kneecap." | |
| 2025 | OK | Retail Trade | "An employee was working at a cash register. She turned away from the register, took a step or two, tripped, and fell to the concrete floor. She suffered a broken left knee and was hospitalized, requiring surgery." |
Source: OSHA Severe Injury Reports. Narratives are verbatim from filings; identifying details may have been redacted by OSHA.