Roadway crashes lead to costly claims, workers’ comp report shows

October 6, 2025

Boca Raton, FL — Motor vehicle crashes are the most expensive type of workers’ compensation lost-time claim, costing over 70% more than the average lost-time claim, a new report reveals.

Using National Council on Compensation Insurance’s Statistical Plan data from 2002 to 2022, report author Brian Stein, an assistant actuary at NCCI, found that motor vehicle crashes account for just 5% of lost-time workers’ comp claims. However, the average cost of these claims exceeds $100,000.

“Large losses are one part of the story,” Stein adds. “The share of claims costing over $1 million due to motor vehicle accidents has more than tripled in the past two decades.”

One reason: Motor vehicle crashes are more than twice as likely as other claims to result in multiple injured body parts. Other reasons include involvement of heavier vehicles for workplace use, higher speeds in crashes, and multiple workers or claimants involved.

“According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, almost one-third of jobs require some amount of driving, meaning the workforce has significant exposure to motor vehicle accidents,” Stein says.

Transportation incidents were the leading cause of workplace deaths in 2023, accounting for 1,942 deaths, or nearly 37% of total workplace fatalities, according to the most recent BLS data available.

The National Safety Council offers driver safety training.