When the average person thinks about police officers getting injured on the job, they probably think about conflicts with suspects. And this does happen. In fact, some studies have found that more severe injuries tend to happen when those suspects are under the influence of drugs or alcohol.
But most police officers do not have physical confrontations with suspects on a consistent basis. Below are a few other ways that these injuries can take place on the job.
Motor vehicle accidents
Naturally, many police officers suffer injuries in car crashes. Remember that there are more than 35,000 fatal car accidents in the United States every year, along with far more injuries. Police officers who have to drive for patrol are just exposed to a high level of risk, even when they’re not engaged in a high-speed chase or anything of that nature.
Training accidents
Studies have also found that many officers get injured during training accidents. Training to become a police officer is a highly physical task. Officers may be accidentally injured and need to take time away from work.
Common workplace injuries
Finally, police officers can be injured in ways that are similar to other workers. An officer could hit their head in a trip-and-fall accident in the office or at the police department. An officer could suffer from back pain and discomfort while sitting at their desk and typing reports on their computer if they don’t have an ergonomic office chair.
No matter how injuries happen, officers who get injured on the job need to know about all of their rights to workers’ comp benefits.
