Maine, Louisiana, Kentucky Most Injury-Prone States, Group Says

Maine, Louisiana and Kentucky were the most injury-prone states in 2018, while Hawaii, Maryland and Nevada have the lowest injury rates, according to data analyzed by a group of New York pain physicians.

Maine saw 596 emergency department visits per 1,000 residents and had the highest rate of workplace injuries, with 41 incidents per 1,000 full-time workers, New York Pain Care physicians reported this week. The group analyzed workplace injury data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics; emergency room data from the American Health Association; and ambulance data from the National Association of State EMS Officials, the firm said in a news release.

The report did not delve into the types of injuries or the reasons why some states have higher rates than others, or whether some injuries may be under-reported. Data for 2018 was the most recent available.

“This data provides a fascinating insight into which states are most injury-prone, whether that be self-inflicted or caused by a third-party,” noted Dr. Amr Hosny, a physician at the pain treatment center.

Louisiana ranked second, with 535 emergency room visits per 1,000 residents, a rate that is 36% higher than the national average, the group noted. The Bayou State, however, reported the lowest rate of workplace injuries, with just 16 per 1,000 workers. EMS data was not available for Louisiana.

Kentucky reported 525 ER visits per 1,000 people and 26 injuries per 1,000 full-time workers.

Hawaii, Maryland and Nevada all reported fewer than 275 ER visits per 1,000 residents and fewer than 32 workplace injuries per 1,000 full-time workers.

Topics Louisiana Maine Kentucky