The Commonwealth of Massachusetts. INDUSTRIAL ACCIDENT BOARD. FIRST ANNUAL REPORT OF THE INDUSTRIAL ACCIDENT BOARD. THE WORKINGS OF THE LAW. The Workmen's Compensation Law in Massachusetts and elsewhere in the United States was made necessary by general dissatisfaction with the operation of the Employers' Liability Law. There is no longer any denial, worthy of serious consideration, that the employers' liability system, based on negligence, was unjust in principle, inconsistent with modern industrial conditions, and wholly unworthy of any humane and intelligent people. This awakening has caused the State governments to recognize and assume a new responsibility towards the victims of industrial accidents. During the first twelve months of the act there were reported to the Industrial Accident Board 89,694 non-fatal accidents. Four hundred and seventy-four persons engaged in occupations in Massachusetts, entitled to compensation for injury if insured, died as a result of injuries arising out of and in the course of their employment. Seventy-one more fatalities were reported to the Industrial Accident Board which were found on investigation not to arise out of or in the course of employment, or to be subject to the workings of the compensation act. Of the 474 fatally injured persons to whom the act was applicable, 290 were insured and 184 were not insured. In 112 of the cases no dependents were left. In the remaining 362 cases there were 873 dependents, of whom 770 were wholly dependent and 103 were partially dependent upon the supporting member of the family. One hundred and sixty-four of the persons fatally injured. were single, 30 were widowers, 2 were divorced, and 278 were married. These figures show that in 60 per cent. of the fatal cases there were left widows in a state of dependency. Of the total number of non-fatal accidents reported (89,694), 68,586, or 76 per cent., were for injuries which incapacitated the employee for two weeks or less; and of these, 36,901, or 41 per cent. of the total accidents reported, were for injuries which incapacitated the employee for one day only. There were 10,568, or 12 per cent., for injuries which incapacitated the employee from two to four weeks. There were 6,638, or 7 per cent., for injuries which incapacitated the employee from four to eight weeks. There were 2,355, or 3 per cent., for injuries which incapacitated the employee from eight to thirteen weeks. There were 1,275, or 1 per cent., for injuries which incapacitated the employee from thirteen weeks to six months. There were 272, or 310 of 1 per cent., for injuries which incapacitated the employee for over six months. The number of days' work lost as a result of industrial injuries in Massachusetts, during the twelve months July 1, 1912, to June 30, 1913, on the basis of mean duration of disability, was 1,156,787. The number of weeks' work lost, due to industrial injury, was 165,255. On the basis of days' work lost, the number of persons constantly disabled, taken from industry as a result of industrial accidents in Massachusetts during the year July 1, 1912, to June 30, 1913, was 3,855. The average duration of disability for the 89,694 accidents reported was 12.89 days. The actual loss to wage earners employed in the industries. in Massachusetts, as a result of the incapacity due to industrial injuries, during the twelve months from July. 1, 1912, to June 30, 1913, was $2,965,225, - -a loss in wages of about $10,000 each working day. Of this total amount, $2,631,085 was a loss to wage earners who were insured, and $334,140 was a loss for which the injured employees or their dependents received no compensation from insurance. The estimated payments by insurance companies for medical and hospital attention, disability and dependency compensation, including estimates of contingent liabilities to dependents of those killed and for those whose disability has not yet ceased, are $1,677,380.82, not including any cost of insurance administration, agents, etc., making the actual amount paid for disability and medical attention about $5,000 for each working day. The average cost for each accident reported, not including cost of insurance administration, etc., was $18.70. STATISTICAL DIGEST. One of the adjuncts necessary for the more efficient and constructive administration of the Workmen's Compensation Act is the tabulation and analysis of the statistical facts relating to the various phases of industrial accidents. After a year's experience under the act, this information is now available, and is presented in detail by means of the statistical tables in the appendix to the report. In order that these figures may be more readily assimilated, this chapter aims to focus attention upon the general prevailing tendencies, as shown by condensed tables and by graphic charts.1 The magnitude of industrial accidents from July 1, 1912, to June 30, 1913, and the rights to compensation of those who were injured, are shown briefly in the following table: On the basis of the above table it works out that of the total number of non-fatal accidents 81 per cent. of the persons injured were insured under the act and 19 per cent. were not insured. In the class of fatal accidents 61 per cent. were insured and 39 per cent. were not insured. Four hundred and ninety of the injured persons were insured by their employers, but had elected to stand on their common-law rights. In one of these cases the accident was fatal. On the basis of the figures covering non-fatal accidents, the general average tendency shows that, by and large, the majority of employers and employees have accepted the provisions of the act. The fact that in fatal cases the proportion of insured to those 1 For all references to tables see index to statistical tables in Appendix of report. |