How often these injuries happen
OSHA recorded 809 severe cases of sprains, strains, and tears over the last decade. Knee injuries represent the most frequent site of these incidents, often resulting in significant time away from work and intensive rehabilitation.
These injuries frequently lead to long-term functional limitations and chronic pain. When you suffer a severe muscle or ligament tear, the resulting impact on your earning capacity and daily mobility can be permanent, making proper medical documentation essential.
What causes Sprains, Strains, and Tears
Falls on the same level account for 20% of these severe injuries, often occurring when you encounter unexpected hazards on walking surfaces. Many incidents also stem from overexertion while moving materials by hand (17%) or repetitive twisting and reaching (6%), which place extreme stress on your back and lower extremities.
| Cause | Incidents | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Fall on same level | 157 |
| 2 | Other fall to lower level | 155 |
| 3 | Overexertion while materials moving by hand | 130 |
| 4 | Twisting, reaching, bending | 46 |
| 5 | Slip, trip, stumble on same level— without fall | 36 |
| 6 | Struck by falling object | 32 |
| 7 | Caught, entangled in running powered equipment— normal operation | 30 |
| 8 | Overexertion while moving or manipulating external object(s)— unspecified | 27 |
Where injuries happen most
Manufacturing accounts for 19% of these severe cases, as the fast-paced nature of assembly and material handling frequently leads to overexertion. Transportation and warehousing follow at 16%, where the combination of heavy lifting and uneven surfaces creates a high risk for ligament and muscle damage.
Real cases like yours
These reports frequently highlight incidents where you lose your balance on uneven surfaces or suffer sudden muscle tears while handling heavy containers. Recurring themes include inadequate floor maintenance and equipment failures that force you into awkward, high-stress positions. If these scenarios mirror your own experience, an attorney can help you review the specifics of your incident.
| Year | State | Industry | Incident summary | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | TX | Other Services | "In the flight line area, an employee was on a work stand platform conducting repairs to an aircraft. While transitioning to another location, he stepped over another employee and lost his balance. The employee reached for the railing to catch themselves, fell, and tore his right bicep. The employee was hospitalized for surgery." | |
| 2025 | OH | Construction | "An employee developed lower back pain after climbing up fixed ladders to reach a roof, then beginning to route wire into an air handling unit. When the employee knelt to pick up rope, the back pain became severe. The employee was hospitalized, having suffered a sprain to a back muscle." | |
| 2025 | IL | Manufacturing | "An employee was walking up a set of three steps that lead out of a pit. Water that had leaked from a valve was on his boots and he slipped and fell backward to the floor. The employee sustained an injury to his L5 vertebra and a ruptured hamstring that required surgery." | |
| 2025 | FL | Transportation & Warehousing | "An employee was delivering a box to a customer. They assisted the customer with moving the box containing a playground apparatus when the box broke open, causing the employee to lose their grip and strain their lower back." | |
| 2025 | FL | Arts & Entertainment | "An employee was walking behind a trailer with the ramp in the up position. The ramp was bumped, causing it to fall onto the back of their ankle. The employee was hospitalized with a torn tendon." | |
| 2025 | OR | Public Administration | "A law enforcement employee was engaged in an altercation during a protest when they fell off a ledge, resulting in a tear to their left adductor longus tendon." | |
| 2025 | FL | Administrative Services | "The injured employee was stepping onto a riding lawn mower when the wheel of the mower was turned by the operator and it caught the injured employee's foot, causing his left ankle to twist. He sustained a sprained left foot and a laceration on his left big toe. The employee was hospitalized." | |
| 2025 | TX | Transportation & Warehousing | "An employee was exiting a work truck when he slipped on the truck's wet steps and fell to the concrete. The employee sustained a partial tear to the left shoulder and a thoracic strain. The employee was hospitalized." | |
| 2025 | ID | Wholesale Trade | "An employee was walking past a cow barn when he slipped on a wet floor mat and fell. The employee sustained torn ligaments and his quadriceps were torn from the bone on both legs." | |
| 2025 | MO | Wholesale Trade | "An employee tore both quadriceps tendons while stepping down from a garage to a driveway. 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
Recovery timelines for severe tears vary based on the location and grade of the injury, often requiring months of physical therapy or surgical intervention. Because these injuries can lead to permanent weakness, it is vital to follow your doctor's plan and consult an attorney to ensure your benefits cover the full duration of your recovery.
Workers' Compensation is designed to cover necessary medical treatments, including physical therapy, for your work-related soft tissue injuries. If your employer or their insurance carrier denies coverage for your rehabilitation, an attorney can help you challenge that decision to secure the care you need.
Repetitive strain injuries are compensable under Workers' Compensation even if they did not result from a single, sudden accident. An attorney can help you gather the necessary medical evidence to prove your condition is work-related and ensure your claim is filed correctly.
Returning to work with a torn ligament often requires temporary light-duty restrictions to prevent further damage to the affected area. If your employer refuses to accommodate your doctor's restrictions, an attorney can help you protect your rights and your health.