Preventable Health Conditions That Drive Worker's Compensation Claims: What Causes the Most Injuries and Costs?

Workers’ compensation claims follow predictable patterns. Across industries, the same issues appear repeatedly: overexertion, slips and falls, and work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSDs). When chronic health conditions such as obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure, or unmanaged stress are present, these injuries take longer to heal and cost substantially more than expected, according to national workers’ compensation research and public health data.

This article breaks down the preventable health condition categories that consistently drive workers’ compensation claims and costs. Drawing on large claim datasets from insurers, state agencies, and research organizations such as the Workers Compensation Research Institute (WCRI), CDC, OSHA, and NIH-tracked occupational health data, we translate the findings into practical, employer-focused insights.

What the Data Really Says About Workers' Compensation and Preventable Health

Large datasets reveal concrete patterns in workers' compensation claims. The Travelers Companies analyzed more than 1.2 million workers' compensation claims across all industries and found that just three causes accounted for nearly two-thirds of all claims: overexertion (29%), slips, trips and falls (23%), and workers being struck by an object (12%). These are familiar problems most employers encounter regularly.

State-level research confirms this pattern. In Washington State, work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSDs) consistently rank as major cost drivers alongside NIH tracking data. Those sprains, strains, and overuse injuries generate significant medical and wage-replacement spending. A single back, shoulder, or knee injury doesn't just hurt in the moment. It lingers in your workers' compensation numbers for months.

The health side of the equation matters equally. The Workers Compensation Research Institute analyzed 930,000 lost-time claims across 32 states and examined how underlying health conditions affected work injuries. They found that 22% of claims involved one additional health condition, 10% had two, and 7% had three or more. Roughly 4 in 10 lost-time claims involve at least one comorbid condition (obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure, arthritis, or mental health disorder). Each additional condition increases claim cost and duration because the person's body has more to manage during recovery.

Overexertion, slips and falls, and musculoskeletal issues drive most injury-related claims. Existing health problems quietly transform "simple" claims into long, expensive ones. None of this blames employees for having health issues. It simply acknowledges that preventable health conditions and wear-and-tear are embedded in a significant portion of workers' compensation claims.

The Preventable Health Conditions Driving Your Workers' Compensation Costs

Not all workplace injuries are created equal. While accidents happen everywhere, certain preventable health conditions amplify injury frequency, severity, and recovery time. The data shows that a small group of modifiable health factors accounts for a disproportionate share of workers' compensation costs. By understanding these four condition categories, you can identify where intervention delivers the most impact.

1. Musculoskeletal & Overexertion Problems (Approximately One-Third of Claims)

Sore backs, blown-out shoulders, cranky knees, and strains from lifting, twisting, reaching, or repetitive motion make up this category. These typically fall under "overexertion" or "bodily reaction" in claims data.

This bucket extends beyond warehouses and construction sites. Office workers hunched over laptops in poor postures or doing repetitive tasks with no ergonomic support develop the same musculoskeletal issues. Low-level wear and tear accumulates until someone lifts one more box or slips while their back is already strained. Musculoskeletal disorders rank among the costliest workers' compensation claims, particularly in construction, healthcare, and manufacturing.

What makes this preventable: Poor ergonomics, weak core strength, inflexibility, and sedentary lifestyles all increase injury risk. These are all addressable through workplace design, training, and employee wellness initiatives. The CDC recognizes musculoskeletal disorders as one of the most common and costly occupational health problems, and OSHA's ergonomics resources emphasize that these injuries are largely preventable through proper workplace design and training.

2. Fall Vulnerability: The Health Conditions That Turn Minor Slips into Major Claims (20–25% of Claims)

Wet floors, icy sidewalks, cluttered walkways, and missed steps exist in most workplaces. But whether a slip results in a bruise or a fractured hip depends almost entirely on the person's underlying health condition.

Balance, leg strength, bone density, reaction time, and vision all determine fall outcomes. A younger employee with good balance and strong bones catches themselves and walks away with a minor bruise. An older worker with weaker balance, declining bone density, or vision problems fractures a hip, requires surgery, and misses months of work. The fall event itself is the same hazard. The health condition is what transforms it from a minor incident into a major claim.

What makes this preventable: Age-related decline in balance and strength is partially preventable through regular exercise, strength training, and vision care. Sedentary lifestyles accelerate this decline. Unmanaged conditions like diabetes (which affects balance and vision) and bone health issues increase vulnerability. The National Safety Council reports that these incidents are among the leading causes of workplace injuries and fatalities, with falls accounting for over 800 deaths and hundreds of thousands of nonfatal injuries annually. This is why fall prevention must address both workplace hazards and employee health status.

3. Cardiometabolic Conditions: The Silent Claim Cost Drivers (Present in 40% of Lost-Time Claims)

Cardiometabolic conditions (obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease) rarely appear as the official "cause" on a claim form, but they're embedded in a huge portion of claims. These conditions change how the body handles stress, injury, and healing.

Employees carrying extra weight struggle with lifting, bending, and awkward positions, increasing strain and overexertion injury risk. Workers with obesity file twice as many workers' compensation claims as employees at a healthy weight, and their claims cost substantially more to resolve. Diabetes and poor circulation slow wound healing and increase infection risk. High blood pressure and heart issues limit safe activities during recovery or physical therapy. These factors extend recovery time, increase medical complexity, and raise the likelihood that a simple strain turns into a high-cost, long-duration claim.

What makes this preventable: Unlike age-related decline, cardiometabolic conditions are highly responsive to intervention. Weight management, exercise, nutrition, blood sugar control, and blood pressure management all reduce both injury risk and recovery time. The CDC's National Diabetes Statistics Report shows over 38 million Americans have diabetes, and roughly 42% of U.S. adults have obesity. These numbers directly impact workplace injury outcomes, but they're also conditions employers can meaningfully influence through benefits design and workplace culture.

4. Respiratory and Mental Health Factors: The Underestimated Claim Multipliers

Respiratory conditions (asthma, chronic bronchitis, long-term smoking history) and mental health challenges (stress, anxiety, depression, burnout) represent a smaller share of claims by count but have outsized effects on duration and complexity.

On the respiratory side, these workers miss more time when injured and may not tolerate certain work or rehab well due to breathlessness or fatigue, complicating return-to-work planning. Mental health challenges usually don't appear in claim notes but surface in other ways: burned-out, distracted employees make more mistakes and get injured more frequently. People struggling with anxiety or depression find it harder to stick with rehab, communicate clearly about restrictions, or feel confident returning to work. This quietly extends claim duration and drives up total cost. Mentally healthy employees are more engaged, motivated, and loyal. They sustain fewer injuries.

What makes this preventable: Smoking cessation programs reduce respiratory risk. Workplace stress management, mental health support, and burnout prevention directly reduce both injury frequency and recovery time. These aren't nice-to-have benefits. They're direct cost drivers in your workers' compensation program.

Why This Breakdown Matters for Your Bottom Line

You'll see everything from one-off freak accidents to rare medical issues nobody could predict. No single framework explains 100% of your workers' compensation experience. But when you zoom out, most of your claim dollars and most of your claim duration land in these four categories. These are preventable in the sense that the underlying health conditions driving severity are modifiable through intentional workplace intervention.

The key insight: you're not just managing individual incidents. You're managing preventable health conditions that amplify injury costs. A 35-year-old with good health gets a minor sprain and returns to work in two weeks. A 55-year-old with obesity, diabetes, and high blood pressure gets the same sprain and misses three months because their body can't heal efficiently. Same incident, dramatically different cost. That difference is preventable.

You don't need to fix every possible condition or chase every edge case to make a real difference. Focusing on ergonomics and musculoskeletal health, reducing fall vulnerability through strength and balance, supporting healthier weight and blood sugar, and taking respiratory and mental health seriously will eliminate a large portion of your preventable claims and reduce claim severity dramatically.

You'll never reach zero risk. But these four condition categories represent the most practical, high-return starting point for meaningfully bending your trend line on workers' compensation claims and costs.

How Employers Can Reduce Workers' Compensation Claims from Preventable Health Conditions

Preventable health conditions drive a significant share of workers' compensation claims. You don't need to become a full-time wellness expert to change that story. You just need to be intentional about how you read your data, how work gets done, and how your benefits support people before and after injury.

1. Start by Reading Your Own Data Differently

Review your last three to five years of workers' compensation claims. Identify injuries that keep repeating, departments and job types that consistently appear, and the ratio of strains and sprains versus slips and falls versus long, complicated cases. Use the four-bucket framework and ask: which bucket does this claim actually live in?

A simple tally by bucket reveals where preventable health conditions drive your claims and which bucket costs you most. This is your starting point for strategic intervention. For a deeper dive on this approach, check out our guide on how to reduce workers' compensation insurance claims and control costs for your business.

2. Tackle Musculoskeletal & Overexertion with Ergonomics and Culture

For most employers, musculoskeletal issues represent the largest bucket. The fixes don't need to be complex: lifting aids and carts for heavy materials, better hand tools, reasonable weight limits, and workstation adjustments so desk workers aren't twisted uncomfortably. Implement job rotation so no one does the same heavy or repetitive task for eight straight hours.
Culture matters equally. If people fear retaliation or appearing weak for reporting early pain, they'll stay silent until injury becomes a full claim. Build a culture where early reporting and intervention are normal, where "let's adjust this job before you get hurt" is standard practice.

3. Make Falls Less Likely for the People Most at Risk

Slips, trips, and falls sound basic but represent a huge piece of workers' compensation claims, especially for older workers or those with balance and strength issues. Start with fundamentals: housekeeping standards that keep walkways clear and spills cleaned quickly, plus attention to outdoor paths and entrances during bad weather. Add solid handrails and good lighting anywhere people carry things, turn corners, or use stairs.

Footwear matters. Policies or stipends for proper shoes make a real difference in wet, oily, or outdoor environments. As your workforce ages, gently encourage balance and strength without making it uncomfortable. Wellness challenges, fitness options, or shared resources that help people stay stronger and steadier on their feet all support this naturally. For structured ways to encourage healthy behaviors, our article on how to structure safety incentive programs that actually work offers practical frameworks that drive participation without feeling forced.

4. Use Benefits to Chip Away at Cardiometabolic Risk

Cardiometabolic conditions like obesity, diabetes, and high blood pressure make workers' compensation claims more serious and expensive than necessary. Your benefits package can either ignore that or quietly help.
Make preventive care accessible and low-cost: annual physicals, lab work, blood pressure checks, and basic screenings that are easy to schedule. Offer coaching and telehealth support for weight management, diabetes, and hypertension that fit real life, not fantasy schedules. Layer in supportive incentives. Small rewards or premium differences that feel encouraging rather than punitive work best.

The goal is to make the healthier choice easier and reduce the odds that a routine strain becomes a long, complicated, expensive claim because of underlying health issues. For practical guidance on implementing these programs, see our resource on how to start a wellness program at your company.

5. Don't Ignore Stress, Fatigue, and Mental Health

If you want to prevent claims and shorten recovery time, take stress and mental health seriously. Start with how you schedule and staff work: chronic overtime, constant emergencies, and unrealistic expectations leave people exhausted and distracted. Fatigue is a massive risk factor for mistakes and injuries.

Give managers basic training on recognizing burnout, checking in early, and knowing what support options exist. Normalize mental health benefits. EAPs, counseling, or virtual mental health visits presented as standard tools everyone uses work best, not last-resort fixes for struggling employees.

You don't need to turn your workplace into a therapy session. You just need an environment where people aren't running on fumes and have somewhere to turn before things deteriorate. Our detailed guide on what companies can do to help employees with mental health provides actionable steps for creating that supportive environment.

Where Alloy Employer Services Fits In to Reduce Workers' Compensation Claims

This all comes back to a simple idea: if you understand which health and injury patterns drive your workers' comp claims, you can do something about them.

Alloy Employer Services can review your loss runs and workers' compensation trends, categorizing them into the condition buckets you've read about here. From there, we help you implement practical changes: ergonomic improvements to protect backs and shoulders, safety habits that cut slip and falls, benefits that make preventive care and chronic condition management accessible, and claim management focused on early reporting and realistic return-to-work plans.

You don't need to overhaul your entire business or rebrand as a wellness company. You just need a clearer view of what's driving your workers' compensation claims and support turning that insight into everyday practices.

If this approach makes sense for your organization, talk with Alloy about implementation. Contact us today.