Are Latino immigrants in California eligible for workers’ comp?
Over the years, studies have shown that Latino immigrants are consistently at a high risk for workplace fatalities. One of the most recent studies showed that Latino workers suffer from fatalities at a rate of 3.7 per 100,000. For other workers, the rate is 3.5. To make matters worse, the numbers are increasing. Research showed that 70 more Latino workers died in 2018 than in 2017.
Latino immigrants are particularly at risk. In fact, nearly 80% of all the Latino workers who died in Florida in 2018 were immigrants. Construction workers suffer from the highest levels of fatalities, followed by drivers, farm workers and maintenance workers. These groups also suffer from high levels of workplace injuries, which can lead many Latino immigrants to apply for workers’ comp.
Every year, the number of fatalities among Latino workers climbs to new heights with the number reaching 961 in 2018. To combat these statistics, the labor organization AFL-CIO has urged the Occupational Safety and Health Administration to investigate these issues and launch new initiatives to protect the health and safety of Latino immigrant workers. They also want OSHA to set stricter safety standards that will create a safer workplace for Latino workers across the country.
