How often these injuries happen
OSHA recorded 123 severe incidents involving the nose over the last decade. Fractures are the most common nature of these injuries, representing 76 percent of all reported cases.
A nasal injury often results in significant pain and potential long-term breathing complications. These injuries can force you to miss extended periods of time, directly impacting your ability to perform physical tasks and maintain your earning capacity.
How these injuries happen
Falls are the leading cause of nasal trauma, accounting for 24 percent of all reported incidents. Whether you slip on a wet floor or fall from an elevated surface, the impact often results in direct facial trauma. Other common scenarios involve being struck by objects, such as falling materials or equipment, which can cause immediate and severe damage to your nasal structure.
| Cause | Incidents | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Fall on same level | 29 |
| 2 | Other fall to lower level | 19 |
| 3 | Struck by propelled object or substance | 16 |
| 4 | Struck by falling object | 13 |
| 5 | Hitting, kicking, beating by other person | 11 |
| 6 | Struck by suspended or swinging object | 5 |
| 7 | Nonroadway noncollision incident | 3 |
| 8 | Struck against stationary object | 3 |
Where injuries happen most
Construction and manufacturing each account for 20 percent of severe nasal injuries. In these environments, you face constant exposure to heavy machinery, falling objects, and high-pressure tools that can cause sudden, life-altering facial trauma.
Real cases like yours
Many reported incidents involve you performing routine tasks and being suddenly struck by equipment or losing your balance on uneven surfaces. These stories frequently highlight failures in basic safety measures, such as improper tool handling or lack of fall protection. If any of these scenarios sound like what happened to you, an attorney can help you review the specifics of your incident to determine your legal options.
| Year | State | Industry | Incident summary | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | WI | Health Care | "An employee was walking out of a walk-in freezer while carrying items from the shelves. She tripped and fell on the floor, sustaining a fractured and lacerated nose as well as bruising/lacerations to her face. The employee was hospitalized." | |
| 2025 | FL | Construction | "An employee was installing plywood on a roof when a nail that shot out of a pneumatic nail gun ricocheted off another nail and struck him in the upper nasal area." | |
| 2025 | KS | Mining | "An employee was replacing a seized gearbox on an oil well using a breaker bar. After the breaker bar broke the gearbox loose, the bar struck the employee in the face, causing a fractured nasal bone and a laceration from the crown of the nose to above the right eye. The employee was hospitalized." | |
| 2025 | MO | Arts & Entertainment | "An employee was holding open a door while holding keys when he lost his balance on the landing and fell down the concrete stairs. The employee was hospitalized with injuries to his face and shoulder, as well as a fractured nose." | |
| 2025 | TX | Mining | "A crew was running rods in the hole when the chain on the rod transfer broke and fell to the rig floor. The chain struck the injured employee on the hard hat and whipped underneath the hard hat and struck the employee above their nose, causing a fracture and laceration. The employee was hospitalized." | |
| 2025 | FL | Real Estate | "An employee was removing a ratchet binder from a trailer. The binder had been raised using a forklift fork and was under tension when he struck it with a mini-sledgehammer. It came loose and struck him on the nose, breaking it." | |
| 2024 | PA | Manufacturing | "An employee was behind an upright shield guard. He was raking 12-foot-long U-channel bars into a pile as they were kicked off a gauge table. In between kickoffs, the employee stepped to the side to approach the pile. The next set of bars were contacted by the kickers at the same time the gauge came down on the bars. This caused a bar to fly toward the employee instead of falling. The employee was struck on the bridge of the nose, resulting in a laceration and a fracture requiring surgery. A guard was in place at the time." | |
| 2024 | FL | Construction | "An employee was operating a stressing jack when the cable detached from the jack and struck him in the face. The employee sustained facial lacerations and a fractured nose." | |
| 2024 | FL | Construction | "An employee was operating a floodlight boom when it collapsed downward due to a faulty interior boom cable. The employee was struck by the light assembly mast and sustained an avulsion to their nose and head trauma, resulting in hospitalization and surgery." | |
| 2024 | FL | Transportation & Warehousing | "An employee was moving freight to the back of a trailer for the forklift operator to unload in the parking lot when they lost their footing and fell 44 inches from the back of the trailer to the ground, resulting in a contusion to the back of their head and a subdural sinus fracture." |
Source: OSHA Severe Injury Reports. Narratives are verbatim from filings; identifying details may have been redacted by OSHA.
Frequently asked questions
Yes, Workers' Compensation is designed to cover medical expenses and lost wages for work-related injuries, including nasal fractures. If your injury occurred while performing your job duties, you are generally entitled to benefits regardless of fault. An attorney can help you navigate the filing process to ensure your claim is handled correctly.
Recovery time varies depending on the severity of the fracture and whether surgery is required to repair the nasal structure. You may return to light duty quickly, or you may face weeks of recovery and long-term breathing issues. An attorney can help you document the full extent of your medical needs to ensure your benefits cover your entire recovery period.
If your claim is denied, you have the right to appeal the decision through your state's Workers' Compensation board. Employers or insurance companies may dispute the severity of your injury or claim it did not happen at work, but you can challenge these findings with proper evidence. An attorney can help you gather medical records and witness statements to strengthen your appeal.
OSHA requires employers to provide a safe working environment, which includes supplying appropriate personal protective equipment when hazards are present. If your injury resulted from a lack of safety gear or a failure to follow established safety regulations, you may have grounds for a claim. An attorney can help you investigate whether your employer violated specific safety standards that contributed to your injury.