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Report: Claims from Workers in California’s Sierras Involve Only 4 Industries

More than half of all claims from workers living in California’s Sierras involve only four industries, according to a report out today from the California Workers’ Compensation Institute.

The CWCI’s California Workers’ Comp Regional Score Card examines the claims experience of workers living in the Sierras and compares it to the experience of injured workers from the rest of the state.

The Sierra Score Card is the last installment of an eight-part series initiated last fall that uses a database to profile claimant characteristics and highlight data compiled from claims filed by residents of different regions of the state.

The score card uses data from 32,000 accident year 2005–2015 claims filed by residents of 11 counties that comprise much of the Gold County and the mountainous areas that border Nevada from Sierra County south to Death Valley.

Though the region accounts for only 1.7 percent of all California workers’ comp claims.

The report’s findings conclude:

• More than half of all claims from the region involve workers employed in just four industries (construction, retail trade, healthcare, and hotel and food services).
• Three diagnoses that represent just 4 percent of the region’s claims account for 20 percent of all loss payments.
• The Sierras have the highest percentage of temporary disability claims in the state but permanent disability claims are less prevalent.
• Despite relatively low attorney involvement rates, short claim durations, and few lien claims, over the past decade the Sierras have experienced some of the fastest growing claim costs in the state.

All eight Regional Score Cards and the summary bulletins are available to CWCI members and research subscribers, while others may purchase them on the group’s website.