Between 11% and 18% of injured workers in 15 states do not return to work within a year of their accident, a range that is in line with previous studies, according to reports released Tuesday by the Workers Compensation Research Institute. 

The Cambridge, Massachusetts-based institute released its latest batch of reports tackling data in six new states – Indiana, Massachusetts, Michigan, North Carolina, Virginia, and Wisconsin –and found that recovery of physical health and functioning for injured workers was similar across the 15 states researched over the last few years.

Researchers examined physical health and functioning data for injured workers, return to work figures, earnings recovery, access to and satisfaction with medical care to cull data, according to a press statement. The research is part of the institute’s multi-year effort to examine post-injury recovery and return to work.  

“By examining outcomes of injured workers, policymakers and other stakeholders can better understand how different state workers’ compensation systems compare in order to identify and prioritize opportunities to improve system performance,” said Ramona Tanabe, WCRI’s executive vice president and in-house counsel, in a press statement.

Among the latest findings: 

Indiana: 10% of workers with more than seven days of lost time reported never returning to work for at least a one-month period predominantly due to the injury; 11% reported no substantial return to work within one year of the injury.

Virginia: 14% percent of workers with more than seven days of lost time reported never returning to work for at least a one-month period predominantly due to the injury; 17% reported no substantial return to work within one year of the injury.

Wisconsin: 12% of workers with more than seven days of lost time reported never returning to work for at least a one-month period predominantly due to the injury; 13% reported no substantial return to work within one year of the injury.

Massachusetts: 15% of workers with more than seven days of lost time reported never returning to work for at least a one-month period predominantly due to the injury; 17% reported no substantial return to work within one year of the injury.

North Carolina: 14% of workers with more than seven days of lost time reported never returning to work for at least a one-month period predominantly due to the injury; 18% reported no substantial return to work within one year of the injury.

Michigan: 12% of workers with more than seven days of lost time reported never returning to work for at least a one-month period predominantly due to the injury; 16% reported no substantial return to work within one year of the injury.