How often these injuries happen
OSHA recorded 625 severe shoulder cases over the last decade, with fractures accounting for 48 percent of all reported incidents. These injuries often involve the clavicle or scapula, requiring extensive medical intervention and long recovery periods.
Your shoulder is essential for almost every physical task, from lifting materials to operating heavy machinery. A severe injury here frequently limits your range of motion, making it difficult to return to your job duties or maintain your previous earning capacity.
Shoulder injury at work? Check your workers' comp benefits.
Free Benefits ReviewHow these injuries happen
Falls are the primary driver of shoulder trauma, with falls on the same level accounting for 35 percent of all reported cases. Whether you trip over debris on a construction site or slip on a slick retail floor, the impact of a fall is often absorbed directly by your shoulder joint, leading to immediate fractures or dislocations.
| Cause | Incidents | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Fall on same level | 213 |
| 2 | Other fall to lower level | 173 |
| 3 | Struck by falling object | 38 |
| 4 | Struck by propelled object or substance | 17 |
| 5 | Struck by rolling powered vehicle or machinery | 15 |
| 6 | Caught, entangled in running powered equipment— normal operation | 15 |
| 7 | Hitting, kicking, beating by other person | 13 |
| 8 | Injured by object handled by person | 12 |
Where injuries happen most
Construction leads all sectors with 21 percent of severe shoulder injuries. The environment of building sites, combined with the use of ladders and scaffolding, creates a constant threat of falls that frequently result in debilitating shoulder trauma.
Real cases like yours
Many reported incidents involve you falling from heights or tripping over workplace hazards while handling materials. These accounts often highlight a lack of proper fall protection or cluttered work areas that directly contributed to your injury. If any of these scenarios sound like what happened to you, an attorney can help you review the specifics of your case.
| Year | State | Industry | Incident summary | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | CO | Construction | "An employee was removing forms from a foundation when he fell 17 feet to the ground below. The employee suffered a scapula fracture and bruising to the torso that required hospitalization. Fall protection was not worn at the time." | |
| 2023 | FL | Other Services | "On December 26, 2023, an employee went out to the parking lot to troubleshoot the starter of an SUV. The employee was underneath the vehicle when it started and moved and the employee's middle back area was caught under the front passenger-side tire. The employee sustained a fractured collar bone." | |
| 2023 | GA | Retail Trade | "On December 17, 2023, an employee was in the back room of a store throwing trash away when her feet got caught on some shrink wrap attached to a pallet, causing her to trip and fall to the ground. The employee suffered a fracture to her left shoulder." | |
| 2023 | WV | Manufacturing | "An employee was talking with co-workers when they tripped and fell to the floor, resulting in a shoulder injury." | |
| 2023 | TX | Construction | "An employee was bringing a pallet jack to the edge of a truck when he stumbled and fell approximately 5 feet to the ground. The employee fractured his left shoulder." | |
| 2023 | FL | Health Care | "An employee was walking in a hallway when she tripped and fell on her right side. She sustained a fractured shoulder and injuries to a wrist and knee." | |
| 2023 | FL | Education | "An employee was performing maintenance while on a ladder. The employee fell from the ladder to the ground and sustained a fractured shoulder." | |
| 2023 | FL | Retail Trade | "An employee was walking behind a service desk when they tripped over a box on the floor and fell, resulting in a dislocated left shoulder and a fractured right shoulder." | |
| 2023 | OH | Other Services | "An employee was leaving for lunch. The wheel of her knee scooter struck a divot in the floor which caused her to fall into a metal rack. The employee sustained a broken right shoulder." | |
| 2023 | FL | Health Care | "An employee tripped while walking down a hallway and fell on her left shoulder, resulting in a fracture." |
Source: OSHA Severe Injury Reports. Narratives are verbatim from filings; identifying details may have been redacted by OSHA.