"Too many people are left struggling without a safety net and are either pressured to return to work before they’re necessarily ready to or forced to dip into savings or take on debt."
- Graham Singleton, CEO of National Friendly
Of those surveyed (2,000), 15% of adults involved in accidents in the last three years now live with long-term disability – rising to 23% amongst those aged 35 or younger. Worryingly, 8% reported three or more accidents in the last twelve months.
Over the last three years, nearly a third (29%) of adults experienced an accident, commonly resulting in bruising (35%), followed by grazes (21%), sprained muscles (21%), sprained muscles (21%), broken bones (13%), and whiplash or concussion (9%). Notably, 12% of those aged 35 or younger experienced loss of hearing or sight following an accident.
Furthermore, 20% of adults involved in accidents had to change or adapt their daily routines whilst over half (57%) had to take unplanned time off work – rising to 71% amongst those aged 35 or younger. On average, injured individuals took 11.5 days off (13.3 days amongst women).
National Friendly highlighted that the financial impact of accidents has been significant. 24% of adults felt pressure to return to work early as they couldn’t afford to go without income, and 16% felt pressured to go back earlier than planned as they didn’t want to risk losing their jobs.
21% had to use savings to stay afloat following an accident (32% of men vs 12% of women), whilst 12% borrowed money. Almost one in ten (7%) had to change how they worked, with some transiting to remote or flexible arrangements, and 6% either had to leave the workplace entirely or lost their jobs.
Despite these figures, only 17% of those injured claimed on protection policies such as Income Protection (IP) – rising to 22% amongst those aged 35 or younger. 7% had to stay in hospital or have an operation, whilst 14% couldn’t drive their car or ride their bike due to their injuries.
“Our research highlights how common accidents are, but also how life-changing they can be, both physically and financially. Too many people are left struggling without a safety net and are either pressured to return to work before they’re necessarily ready to or forced to dip into savings or take on debt,” warned Graham Singleton, CEO of National Friendly.
