Workers’ Memorial Day To Be Observed On April 28

Graphic with the words "Workers’ Memorial Day. April 28."

While Memorial Day in May is widely recognized, there’s another important commemoration that often goes unnoticed: Workers’ Memorial Day. Observed in April, this day serves as a poignant reminder of the workers who have lost their lives to work-related injuries or illnesses.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Workers’ Memorial Day honors those who have tragically died on the job and “encourages us to think of ways in which we all can help to achieve the goal of safer and healthier workplaces.”

Our New York workers’ compensation attorneys at Pasternack Tilker Ziegler Walsh Stanton & Romano, LLP explain the significance of this annual event and the importance of seeking legal help if you were injured while on the job.

If you’ve suffered a work-related injury or illness, you may be entitled to compensation for your losses. Seeking guidance from an experienced work injury lawyer can help you navigate the legal process and pursue the full extent of compensation you deserve.

What is Workers’ Memorial Day?

In 1970, the American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO) created Workers’ Memorial Day. At that time, an estimated 38 people each day died as a result of work-related illnesses or accidents, according to a U.S. Department of Labor. That’s more than 13,870 work-related fatalities each year, on average.

Have work-related fatalities gone down since 1970?

The good news is that workplace deaths have decreased nationwide since 1970. In 2022, a total of 5,486 people died in work-related accidents, according to the most recent workplace fatality data compiled by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).

However, compared to more recent years, that figure is worse. For example, the year before, 5,190 people died in work-related accidents in 2021. The year before that, there were only 4,764 workplace fatalities nationwide, according to BLS data.

What are the most common causes of workplace fatalities?

Based on workplace accident data compiled by the BLS and the Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries (CFOI), some of the most common causes of workplace fatalities continue to include:

  • Work-related transportation accidents, which account for more than 2,100 workplace fatalities each year, on average.
  • Slip, trip and fall accidents, which account for more than 800 workplace deaths per year.
  • Exposure to harmful substances, which result in more than 800 deaths per year.
  • Being struck by an object or equipment at work, which accounts for more than 700 annual deaths.
  • Violence at work, which results in more than 800 deaths per year, on average.

“While significant progress has occurred since the passage of the Occupational Safety and Health Act (in 1970), much more remains to be made,” the CDC said in a recent announcement about the annual Workers’ Memorial Day event.

Protecting the rights of injured workers in NY for over 90 years.

Dealing with a serious work-related injury or illness in New York can be complicated. In most cases, you should be eligible to receive workers’ workers’ compensation benefits if you get sick or hurt at work. However, obtaining the benefits you rightfully deserve can often be much more difficult than you might expect.

Our New York City workers’ compensation attorneys at Pasternack Tilker Ziegler Walsh Stanton & Romano, LLP can help you every step of the way. Our highly skilled legal team has decades of experience handling complicated workers’ compensation claims throughout New York and has recovered over $1 billion in awards and settlements for our clients.

Get the law firm that gets results for injured New Yorkers. Contact us and schedule an appointment with a workers’ compensation lawyer who will put your best interests first. We have 12 offices conveniently located in New York, including five offices in New York City.

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