How often these injuries happen
OSHA recorded 704 severe cases involving animal contact over the last decade. The most common nature of these injuries is cuts, lacerations, and punctures, which account for 35% of all reported incidents.
These injuries are frequently severe because they involve unpredictable biological hazards. You may face long-term recovery needs and significant medical expenses after an animal-related incident.
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Check My BenefitsHow these injuries happen
Injuries from animals typically occur through direct physical contact, such as being bitten or stung by an animal. You also face significant risks from being struck by animals or during animal transportation incidents, which often involve livestock or riding animals that can behave unpredictably.
| Cause | Incidents | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bitten or stung by animal | 378 |
| 2 | Struck by animal | 184 |
| 3 | Animal transportation incidents | 109 |
| 4 | Contact with animals— unspecified | 12 |
| 5 | Multiple types of contact with animals | 10 |
| 6 | Contact with animals— n.e.c. | 3 |
| 7 | Inhalation of harmful substance | 2 |
| 8 | Other fall to lower level | 1 |
Where injuries happen most
Transportation and warehousing accounts for 24% of these incidents, often due to the handling of livestock or animals in transit. Agriculture follows closely at 21%, where constant interaction with large animals creates risks for you as you manage animal behavior while performing physical labor.
Real cases like yours
Common patterns in these reports include sudden animal reactions during routine medical exams or while moving livestock. Many incidents involve unexpected bites during veterinary care or falls from horses during patrol or herding duties. If any of these scenarios sound like what happened to you, an attorney can help you evaluate your claim.
| Year | State | Industry | Incident summary | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | MO | Professional Services | "A veterinarian was listening to a cat's heart when the cat bit their left thumb. The employee was hospitalized for treatment. " | |
| 2025 | NY | Administrative Services | "An employee was riding a horse in the horse corral/riding arena when the horse bucked multiple times. The employee performed an emergency dismount off the right side of the horse. When she landed, she fell backward in the sand, onto her back. The employee sustained a crushed vertebra." | |
| 2025 | FL | Professional Services | "An employee was entering an exam room to perform a veterinary exam on a dog when the dog bit her face, resulting in hospitalization for a puncture injury." | |
| 2025 | KS | Agriculture | "A pen rider was moving cattle and they were after an animal. When the animal changed direction, the horse also turned and then tripped and fell. The employee fell with the horse and sustained a dislocated left shoulder, a fractured right thumb, and a fracture above the eye." | |
| 2025 | TX | Public Administration | "An employee fell off a horse while performing riding patrol duties and was hospitalized with a fractured skull." | |
| 2025 | MO | Other Services | "An employee was participating in playtime with a cat. She was petting the cat when the cat bit her right hand. The employee was hospitalized." | |
| 2025 | TX | Professional Services | "An employee was restraining a cat so a sterile urine sample could be obtained. The cat bit the employee's left middle finger. The wound had to be debrided and the employee was later hospitalized with an infection in the joint." | |
| 2025 | IL | Other Services | "On June 20, 2025, an employee fell from a horse, suffered a head injury, and was hospitalized." | |
| 2025 | MS | Wholesale Trade | "An employee was bitten by a dog while delivering merchandise to a customer's home. The employee suffered lacerations to both forearms, his left leg, and his back. The employee was hospitalized." | |
| 2025 | CT | Transportation & Warehousing | "A mail carrier was delivering mail to a home when a dog broke through a door and bit his head, face, arms, and legs." |
Source: OSHA Severe Injury Reports. Narratives are verbatim from filings; identifying details may have been redacted by OSHA.