Occupational vehicular accident claims: a workers' compensation analysis of Oregon truck drivers 1990-1997

Abstract

This study used workers' compensation data from Oregon from 1990 to 1997 to examine workers' compensation claims from vehicular accidents by truck drivers, and to calculate claim rate estimates using baseline data derived from the US Bureau of Census' Current Population Surveys. During this period, 1168 valid injury claims due to vehicular accidents were filed representing an accident claim rate of 50.3 (95% CI: 45.1-55.5) per 10,000 truck drivers annually. There were 19 work-related vehicular accident fatalities recorded in the data over the 8-year period. Of all claimants, males constituted the majority (80.7%), most were 35 years of age or younger (51.4%) and had less than 1 year of job tenure (51.0%). Truck driver claim rates due to vehicular accidents were lowest during the 6 a.m. to 12 p.m. period. The average amount of compensable lost work days per injury claim was 57.8 days (S.D.=124.7) and the median claim time was 16.0 days with the inter-quartile range being 53.5 days. The amount of lost work reported increased with the claimant's age. A total of US$ 11,642,635 was paid in claims for vehicular accidents of truck drivers in Oregon over the time examined, which averaged US$ 9966 per claim, with a median claim amount of US$ 2590 and inter-quartile range of US$ 7670. Claims citing sprains were the most frequently recorded injury experienced from vehicular accidents.