EAGAN, Minn., June 19, 2008 - More than a quarter of American adults say they have been injured while working, often missing substantial time from work as a result, according to a new survey by FindLaw.com, the most-visited legal information Web site ( http://www.findlaw.com ).

In accordance with June being designated as National Safety Month by the National Safety Council, FindLaw.com sought to find out how workplace injuries are affecting American workers. The FindLaw.com survey found that 28 percent of American adults say they have been injured on the job. Among men, the figure climbs to more than one-third (36 percent) who say they have suffered work-related injuries.

Of those injured on the job, 43 percent said they missed more than one week of work as a result of their injury. And 31 percent said they were off the job for more than a month.

Time Missed from Work Due to Injury
Less than one day (20%)
One day (10%)
2-5 work day (21%)
Between a week and a month (12%)
More than one month (31%)
No answer/unsure (6%)

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported more than 4 million nonfatal workplace injuries or illnesses in 2006. According to the FindLaw.com survey, more than half of those injured on the job - 53 percent - filed a workers' compensation claim as a result of their injuries. Workers' compensation is a state-mandated insurance program that provides compensation to employees who suffer job-related injuries and illnesses.

"While workers' compensation laws are intended to help employees who are injured on the job, filing and processing claims can be a complicated process," said Mark Rothstein, professor of law and medicine at the University of Louisville and author of Cases and Material on Employment Law, 6th Ed. (Foundation Press: 2007). "Where and how an injury occurred can have a tremendous impact on the validity of a claim. For instance, an injury may be covered even though it occurred outside of the workplace as long as the injury was a result of employment or 'within the scope of employment,' such as a traveling salesperson or an injury at a company-sponsored picnic."

FindLaw.com offers these five quick tips for employees who are injured while on the job:

• Seek appropriate medical care immediately
• If possible, take notes on the accident or injury, including how, when and where it occurred and any eyewitnesses
• Know what your employer's responsibilities for employee injuries are
• Notify your employer and, if appropriate, file a workers' compensation claim
• Because workers' compensation laws and programs vary by state, contact your state's workers' compensation office, a union representative or an attorney

Information on workers' compensation or help in finding an attorney in your area experienced in workers' compensation is available at free legal Web sites, such as FindLaw.com ( http://www.findlaw.com ).

NOTE TO EDITORS: The survey was conducted using a telephone survey of a group of 1,000 randomly selected, demographically balanced American adults. Survey results are accurate plus-or-minus three percentage points. Full survey results are available upon request.