New Jersey’s Unbelievably High State Worker Accident Rate

Based on a study of the state's risk management program last year, New Jersey’s accident rate among its workers is about 45 percent higher than the national average for state governments, placing it with Connecticut and New York as one of the three worst in the country. The state’s unbelievably high accident rate cost New Jersey about $105 million last year in worker benefits.

In related news, a former employee of the New Jersey Department of Banking and Insurance pleaded guilty yesterday to theft by deception for falsely collecting state disability benefits. The state worker claimed he was injured and unable to perform his duties for the banking department. In fact, during the time he was receiving state disability payments he collected $123,704 for work he did as a general contractor for an automotive group.