How often these injuries happen
OSHA recorded 20 severe cases of stabbing and cutting injuries in recent reporting periods. You should know that 75 percent of these incidents result in cuts, lacerations, and punctures that require immediate medical intervention and often extensive surgical repair.
These events are uniquely dangerous because they involve direct physical trauma to vital areas. You may face long-term recovery and significant medical expenses if you are injured in these types of attacks.
Common injuries
Workplace stabbings and cuts typically occur during interpersonal conflicts or unprovoked attacks. CO-workers are the primary source of these injuries, accounting for 35 percent of incidents, often during verbal disputes that escalate into physical violence. Other common scenarios involve interactions with customers or criminal assailants who enter your workplace, particularly in retail and service environments where you have frequent public contact.
| Injury Type | Incidents | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cuts, lacerations, punctures without injury to internal structures | 15 |
| 2 | Injuries to internal organs and major blood vessels | 5 |
Where injuries happen most
Retail trade accounts for 35 percent of all reported stabbing and cutting incidents. If you work in this sector, you face elevated risks due to high volumes of public interaction and the presence of accessible tools or knives. Your employer is expected to implement security measures and DE-escalation training to protect you from foreseeable violent encounters.
Real cases like yours
Common patterns in these reports reveal that violence often erupts suddenly during your routine tasks or following verbal arguments. You may be attacked by CO-workers or individuals in parking lots and service areas, frequently sustaining deep wounds to the torso that require hospitalization. If any of these scenarios sound like what happened to you, an attorney can help you understand your rights.
| Year | State | Industry | Incident summary | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | IL | Wholesale Trade | "The injured employee was told to get the rotisseries and then a verbal argument with a co-worker occurred. The injured employee walked out to get her jacket, and as soon as she came back, the co-worker stabbed her neck and shoulder area with a knife. She sustained injury to her diaphragm that required surgery." | |
| 2025 | TX | Other Services | "An employee came in early to use the air compressor to add air to one of his car's tires. While he was walking across the parking lot, the injured employee noticed a man sitting in the parking lot. The unidentified man rushed the injured employee and stabbed him three times in the back with a knife." | |
| 2025 | OK | Transportation & Warehousing | "A bus agency manager was getting a passenger to leave a bus. As the passenger was walking to exit the bus, he stabbed the manager in the stomach with a knife." | |
| 2025 | IL | Accommodation & Food Services | "The injured employee had been conducting food service activities. He was stabbed twice in the chest and three times in the back by another employee using a pocket knife. The employee was hospitalized." | |
| 2025 | MS | Health Care | "An employee was walking through the parking lot when a former employee attacked them and stabbed them in the abdomen with a knife. The employee was hospitalized. " | |
| 2025 | CO | Public Administration | "A resident at the shelter assaulted an employee with a machete. The employee was hospitalized with lacerations to their whole body." | |
| 2025 | OK | Accommodation & Food Services | "A person wandered through a restaurant into the kitchen area. While being escorted to the front doors by two employees, the person pulled out a sharp object and stabbed one of the employees in the lower abdomen. The employee was hospitalized." | |
| 2025 | NY | Retail Trade | "An employee was engaged in a disagreement with a customer when they stabbed the employee in the abdomen with a knife." | |
| 2024 | PA | Retail Trade | "An employee was acting in a loss prevention capacity when they were stabbed in the abdomen with a knife by an individual. The employee sustained multiple stab wounds, one of which punctured his lung. Part of the knife broke off in his body, requiring surgery." | |
| 2024 | GA | Transportation & Warehousing | "Employees were ending their shift and dropping off trucks. Two employees returned to the yard and had an altercation. One employee used a knife to stab the other employee in the neck. The employee was hospitalized." |
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 generally available for injuries you sustain during the course of employment, even if the injury resulted from a fight or assault. The focus is on whether the incident occurred while you were performing your job duties, rather than who started the conflict. An attorney can help you navigate the specific requirements for filing a claim after a workplace assault.
Your employer has a legal obligation under the OSHA General Duty Clause to provide a workplace free from recognized hazards that are likely to cause death or serious physical harm. This includes implementing security protocols, training you on DE-escalation, and addressing known threats from customers or other employees. If your employer failed to take reasonable steps to protect you, an attorney can help evaluate if this negligence impacts your legal options.
You should immediately report the incident to your supervisor, seek emergency medical care, and ensure a formal incident report is filed. Documenting the event, including the identity of the assailant and any witnesses, is critical for both your Workers' Compensation claim and potential third-party legal action. An attorney can help you gather this evidence to ensure your claim is properly supported.
Recovery times vary significantly based on the depth of the wound and whether internal organs or major blood vessels were damaged. Many of these injuries require surgery and prolonged physical therapy to regain full function. An attorney can help you ensure your claim accounts for both your immediate medical bills and the long-term costs of your recovery.